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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 Cybertruck owners in the U.S. have complained of negative reactions to their angular, steel Tesla trucks ranging from rude gestures to more intimidating bullying or harassment. Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2025 Your friend is not a rude person; therefore, if their camera appears to be pointing your way, that must be a mistake. Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2025 Another thing the two women have in common: rude, moody, older boyfriends. Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025 Heston didn’t want to talk, said Osborn, who found that rude. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rude
Adjective
  • The character first appears in the franchise’s original film Scream (1996) as the older brother of Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan) and the clumsy police deputy trying to help solve the murders in their town of Woodsboro.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Aviles’ dismissal, for a clumsy challenge on the edge of the penalty area, seemed set to turn the game.
    Martin Rogers, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 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
  • For climate advocates, Forrest citing his mining company’s financial performance might sound a bit crass coming from a billionaire who hops around the world on a private plane.
    Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Ak — who was previously accused of rape — was immediately faced with accusations of grooming, later admitting to his crass behavior.
    Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Based on the best-selling comic book series, the fantasy follows barbarian huntress Red Sonja, who must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against the evil tyrant Emperor Draygan and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
  • So, some earlier, some later, but right around the time that the Greeks were talking about these people and excited about their barbarian lifestyle, archaeologists were finding the graves of these people.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2015
Adjective
  • Because not only do viewers suffer through the whitest cast ever, but also one of its most politically ignorant.
    Melanie Curry, refinery29.com, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Greed could refer to material attachment, jealousy bleeds into hatred, and delusion encompasses similar attitudes, like living a life ignorant to Buddha’s teachings or being dull and uncaring.
    Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The United States imports crude oil from Canada, specifically the Alberta oil sands.
    Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
  • But unseen, in underground pipelines that cut through vast fields of barley, flows about $5 billion annually worth of Canadian crude oil and natural gas, most of it from Alberta.
    Dee-Ann Durbin and Sally Ho, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Known for his rough and tumble roles, the two-time Oscar winner died Feb. 26, 2025.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The results, while still a little rough around the edges, show how much extra longevity can be wrung from simple tweaks to existing gameplay.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • However, with even modern imaging technology, these rudimentary decoys are easily detected as fakes and hence less useful.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • It's currently billed as being capable of rudimentary tasks like loading cargo, and moving cases around warehouses.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rude. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rude

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