coarse
Americanadjective
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composed of relatively large parts or particles.
The beach had rough, coarse sand.
-
lacking in fineness or delicacy of texture, structure, etc..
The stiff, coarse fabric irritated her skin.
-
harsh; grating.
-
lacking delicacy, taste, or refinement; unpolished.
He had coarse manners but an absolutely first-rate mind.
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of inferior or faulty quality; common; base.
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vulgar; obscene; crude.
His coarse language angered us.
- Synonyms:
- indelicate
-
(of metals) unrefined.
-
(of a metal file) having the maximum commercial grade of coarseness.
adjective
-
rough in texture, structure, etc; not fine
coarse sand
-
lacking refinement or taste; indelicate; vulgar
coarse jokes
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of inferior quality; not pure or choice
-
(of a metal) not refined
-
(of a screw) having widely spaced threads
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coarse
First recorded in 1550–60; earlier cors(e), course, cowarce; of obscure origin
Explanation
Coarse can mean rough to the touch or vulgar. It's good to have coarse sand paper, but not good to have coarse manners. Do you lick your dinner plate, wipe your nose on your sleeve, and generally behave like an oaf? No, of course not. You're the kind of person who reads online dictionaries. But if you did do any of things, you'd be coarse — that is, unrefined, boorish, and downright vulgar. Coarse can apply to a wide variety of things other than behavior. If something is of poor quality, cheap and inferior, it's considered coarse.
Vocabulary lists containing coarse
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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.
Under normal conditions, turbidites show a consistent pattern, with coarse material settling at the bottom and finer sediment layering on top.
From Science Daily • May 2, 2026
Coarse language obviously implies coarse thinking, and no one wants that in a leader entrusted to bring peace and prosperity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Once sliced, the tomatoes are dipped in flour, then in eggs and, finally, in coarse cornmeal before they are fried to golden-brown perfection.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
He also hinted that he was not really enjoying the job or the coarse civic culture of our current moment.
From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026
It was an ugly face, pale, coarse, and cruel, but Ged feared no man, though he might fear where such a man would guide him.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
