boorish
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
Boorish, oafish, rude, uncouth all describe persons, acts, manners, or mannerisms that violate in some way the generally accepted canons of polite, considerate behavior. Boorish, originally referring to behavior characteristic of an unlettered rustic or peasant, now implies a coarse and blatant lack of sensitivity to the feelings or values of others: a boorish refusal to acknowledge greetings. Oafish suggests slow-witted, loutlike, clumsy behavior: oafish table manners. Rude has the widest scope of meaning of these words; it suggests either purposefully impudent discourtesy or, less frequently, a rough crudity of appearance or manner: a rude remark; a rude thatched hut. Uncouth stresses most strongly in modern use a lack of good manners, whether arising from ignorance or brashness: uncouth laughter; an uncouth way of staring at strangers.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of boorish
Explanation
If your cousin tells revolting jokes, belches, and smells like he spent the winter in a cave, he could be described as boorish — an adjective used for people with bad manners and a sloppy appearance. We almost always use the word boorish for men. This may be because it can be traced back to a 13th century word for “herdsman.” Herdsmen spent a lot of time alone with their sheep, sleeping in tents, and cooking over open fires, so it was no wonder that they didn't have the same refined manners as city folk. If someone offends you by acting boorishly — say, by cutting you off in traffic — you could exclaim, “What a boor!” Just don't confuse boor with bore: bad manners may be offensive, but they're rarely boring.
Vocabulary lists containing boorish
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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More Negative Words to Describe a Person
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2015 National Spelling Bee Words
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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.
"Bird-watchers are tense, competitive, selfish, shifty, dishonest, distrusting, boorish, pedantic, unsentimental, arrogant and - above all, envious" he wrote.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
They uncovered Reddit posts, some from more than a decade ago, revealing a boorish man trading in proto-manospheric thought.
From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026
You may find yourself pantomiming with one of your feet to your children in the persona of “Mr. Stinkyfoot,” a somewhat boorish Frenchman who espouses the importance of cleanliness and the needs for a bath.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
It’s boorish and grating, assuming its audience will lap up whatever tasteless parody it puts out for them just because it aligns with popular films that share its basic themes.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2025
He didn’t want to think about Rosamund—or about the boorish husband she’d left him for.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
