adjective
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rude or surly
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of or relating to peasants
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miserly
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of churlish
Before 1000; Middle English cherlish, Old English ceorlisc. See churl, -ish 1
Explanation
A churlish person is one whose middle name might as well be Rude. He’s the one who was never taught to mind his manners and avoid telling vulgar jokes at the dinner table. Churlish has its origins in late Old English, but its modern-day meaning of “deliberately rude” developed in the 14th century. It’s a fitting adjective to describe boorish or surly behavior. It can also describe a material that is difficult to work with, such as hard wood that’s resistant to quick whittling. Our prolific pal Shakespeare coined the phrase, “as valiant as the lion, churlish as the bear.”
Vocabulary lists containing churlish
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A person would be churlish not to be moved by the two recipients’ stories Tuesday night, but awarding them what they’d earned in that venue marked the abuse of a great honor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
More churlish souls might attribute such stubborn determination to craven commercial interests, but something more is in play.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025
He crosses one flamboyantly shod foot over another on his desk with churlish satisfaction and takes a deep draw on his cigar.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2025
But after so many questions and criticism, it would be churlish in the extreme to not give great credit after the manner of England's performance here.
From BBC • Nov. 14, 2024
It would be churlish to argue that smart policing isn’t a good thing.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
