as in boorish
having or showing crudely insensitive or impolite manners
it would be churlish for any dinner guest to express anything but gratitude for his host's generous hospitality
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Recent Examples of churlish
Kay hasn’t acted since before Marty was born, and Marty never breaks character — they were made for a churlish May-December affair that unlocks something in them both.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 Dec. 2025
Read more: How the Low-Stakes Murder Mystery Took Over Pop Culture
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Still, The Thursday Murder Club is so good-natured, and so gorgeous to look at, that to carp about it just seems churlish.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 22 Aug. 2025
The pure of heart among you may recoil at the notion that anyone would sow brutish chaos, hurt vulnerable people and throw any semblance of democracy under the bus for a churlish, vicious distraction.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2025
Chinese anger was displayed again in the churlish treatment of visiting Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in July when, apart from other indignities, the Chinese Foreign Ministry publicly released its list of demands to Washington while her meeting was still underway.
—Danny Russel, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for churlish
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 Dec. 2025
Read more: How the Low-Stakes Murder Mystery Took Over Pop Culture
Advertisement
Still, The Thursday Murder Club is so good-natured, and so gorgeous to look at, that to carp about it just seems churlish.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 22 Aug. 2025
The pure of heart among you may recoil at the notion that anyone would sow brutish chaos, hurt vulnerable people and throw any semblance of democracy under the bus for a churlish, vicious distraction.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2025
Chinese anger was displayed again in the churlish treatment of visiting Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in July when, apart from other indignities, the Chinese Foreign Ministry publicly released its list of demands to Washington while her meeting was still underway.
—Danny Russel, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for churlish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churlish
Adjective
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The doc goes on to note that, along with boorish audiences, record labels were also wary of Culture Club, even though their aesthetic was very much in the early Eighties new wave and pop mold.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2026
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In New York, an inspiring young leftist competed against a boorish, but experienced, former governor to replace a corrupt mayor.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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And any expression otherwise is so taboo or deemed uncouth, and we aren’t allowed to talk about it in our art and media.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
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Those songs both ended with squalls of noise, hinting at Bash’s interest in more uncouth arrangements.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And Trump’s domineering, loutish approach to women spoke to its adherents in a way that few, if any, of his rivals could match.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
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The nation and the world have long since become accustomed to Trump’s loutish behavior, coarse vocabulary and disrespect for the dignity of his office and America’s reputation.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The pyrotechnics, however, come from Amanda and Danielle, who get in one of those stupid fights that are only possible after a full day of drinking in a retro vehicle.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
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Yes, Ken really is this stupid.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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The Black characters that appeared on-screen closely resembled the clownish stereotypes popularized by the minstrels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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The clownish dance is a Fortnite video game gesture, and involves making an L shape with fingers, pressing it to one’s forehead, then high kicking from side to side.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Avs did right by MacFarland in granting him permission to interview, unlike the petty and classless Golden Knights, who continue to hold former coach Bruce Cassidy hostage.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
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Some of the reaction to his death was also classless.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That seems a pretty rude thing to write in the newspaper.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
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Brock isn’t being rude — far from it.—
Rachel Brodsky,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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This isn’t about the vulgar prices now being charged to get into the building and Celebrity Row.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
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But this original iteration of Call Her Daddy was vulgar, transgressive, and short-lived.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Churlish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churlish. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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