gauche
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gauche
1745–55; < French: awkward, left; Middle French, derivative of gauchir to turn, veer < Germanic
Explanation
Use the word gauche when you want to call something tacky, graceless, tactless, rude, boorish, or awkward and foolish. Have you just pointed out someone's misuse of this word? Oh dear, how gauche! Gauche was used for a long time to refer to things that were just so wrong, it almost hurt to talk about them, like publicly asking someone why they don’t like you. That is so gauche, it could induce a cringe! Gauche is almost a gauche word, as it is comes from a French word meaning left (as opposed to right). It would be gauche to call left-handed people tacky!
Vocabulary lists containing gauche
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Negative Words to Describe a Person
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
One longtime friend was surprised by reports characterizing Rana as a gauche underperformer, having known Rana as an outgoing person with a dry, quick sense of humor and an intense work ethic.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
But even five years of perpetual pregnancy hasn’t stopped the comedian known for being glamorously gauche, from saying the crude things we all think while wearing a chic outfit and a smile.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
We scroll, and along with the images come the opinions: what’s chic, what’s gauche, what’s suddenly “out.”
From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025
Even if SAG-AFTRA members are allowed by the rules to continue their outside work, will it not seem gauche to do so?
From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2023
In the United Kingdom, everyone drives on the left, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that convention; it is in no way sinister, gauche, or socialist.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
