discourteous

American

[dis-kur-tee-uhs] / dɪsˈkɜr ti əs /

adjective

not courteous; impolite; uncivil; rude.

a discourteous salesman.

discourteous British

/ dɪsˈkɜːtɪəs /

adjective

showing bad manners; impolite; rude

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

discourteously adverb
discourteousness noun

Etymology

Origin of discourteous

First recorded in 1570–80; dis- ¹ + courteous

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.

"That would be discourteous towards the Russian Federation," he said.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

The panel said he also engaged in a pattern of improper remarks that “were discourteous and gave the appearance of bias to a crime victim, prospective jurors, defendants, attorneys and others.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2025

The film finds sufficient suspense in these negotiations and in Maitlis’s preparations for the encounter, a grilling that, in real life, she skillfully pulled off without ever registering as discourteous.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2024

"You're never sure he's going to be there. That's simply discourteous."

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2022

Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts, and he was suddenly aware of his discourteous behavior.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023