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as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining rude pelts that were sent to Europe to be fashioned into elegant hats and coats

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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rude people
impolite people
bad-mannered people
nasty people
unkind people
a rude gesture
an impolite gesture
an offensive gesture
a vulgar gesture
a nasty gesture
a gross gesture
rude behavior
impolite behavior
disrespectful behavior
nasty behavior
unpleasant behavior
poor behavior
rude treatment
inconsiderate treatment
disrespectful treatment
ungracious treatment
discourteous treatment
impolite treatment

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective rude differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rude are crude, raw, and rough. While all these words mean "lacking in social refinement," rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

rude behavior

Where would crude be a reasonable alternative to rude?

The words crude and rude are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

a crude joke

When would raw be a good substitute for rude?

In some situations, the words raw and rude are roughly equivalent. However, raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

turning raw youths into polished performers

When is rough a more appropriate choice than rude?

The synonyms rough and rude are sometimes interchangeable, but rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

rough manners

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rude Other people interpret it as a very loud silence by Gen Z customer service workers who don’t really care about the customers and act rude towards them. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 15 July 2025 Most commenters support the original poster, writing that the aunt and uncle are the rude people in this situation. Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 10 July 2025 Stand up to anyone who bullies you, and call people out who are rude or behaving badly. Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 In most cases, it is considered rude to deplane before the rows ahead of you, but there are a couple of exceptions. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for rude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rude
Adjective
  • Dream plays are difficult to execute—whimsy is easily crushed by clumsy handling.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
  • Despite a clumsy apology tour, Hogan was never able to completely shake his darkest moment.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.
    Joseph J. Kolb, Fox News, 18 July 2017
  • Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.
    OregonLive.com, OregonLive.com, 12 July 2017
Adjective
  • After a game in January where Luna played through a broken nose and registered an assist despite being elbowed in the face by a player from Costa Rica, Pochettino praised his young midfielder with a memorably crass description.
    Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
  • Swearing and vulgarity aren’t just crass or abusive.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 June 2025
Adjective
  • The economy will not thrive on backward, barbarian technologies and our babies will suffer from the burden of debt, bad air and blackouts.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
  • Built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress that protected the empire from barbarian invasion, the castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Yet Americans are surprisingly ignorant about our past.
    John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • Residents are far from ignorant of Michigan’s law on train blockages.
    Ayah Imran, Freep.com, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • The essence of the review is evaluation, which of course doesn’t imply the crude simplicity of a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 24 July 2025
  • Oil prices have been soft this year, with West Texas Intermediate crude futures off about 9% per barrel, and Brent crude futures down 8%.
    Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • In 2015, he was again alleged to be discourteous.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
  • In 2014, he was found to have been discourteous and used force.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The company had a rough second quarter, with automotive revenue falling 16% compared to a year ago — the second straight quarter of lower sales.
    Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Opening originally in the 1990s as Mean Streak, the old rough wooden coaster was given new life in 2018 with its transformation into arguably the greatest roller coaster of all time.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rude. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rude

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