rude

comparative ruder · superlative rudest

1. Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous.

   Karen broke up with Fred because he was often rude to her.

   3 more examples

   This girl was so rude towards the cashier by screaming at him for no apparent reason.

   Art thou thus bolden'd, man, by thy distress? Or else a rude despiser of good manners, That in civility thou seem'st so empty?

   c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]

   [S]he was rude to Sir James sometimes; but he is so kind, he never noticed it.

   1871–1872, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter 6, in Middlemarch […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book (please specify |book=I to VIII)

   Synonyms: ill-mannered

2. Lacking refinement or skill; untaught; ignorant; raw.

   But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Corinthians 11:6

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   Though not as shee with Bow and Quiver armd, But with such Gardning Tools as Are yet rude, Guiltless of fire had formd, or Angels brought […]

   1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   It might be apprehended, that among rude nations, where the means of subsistence are procured with so much difficulty, the mind could never raise itself above the consideration of this subject

   1767, Adam Ferguson, An Essay on the History of Civil Society

   She had one of the caves fitted up as a laboratory, and, although her appliances were necessarily rude, the results that she attained were, as will become clear in the course of this narrative, sufficiently surprising.

   1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC

   When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold, Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould; And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart, Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, "It's pretty, but is it Art?"

   1919, Rudyard Kipling, The Conundrum of the Workshops

   There was a rude bridge there, much fallen, where floating branches caught and white water swirled; […]

   1983 [1981], John Crowley, “The Fairies' Parliment”, in Little, Big, Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 583

3. Violent; abrupt; turbulent.

   a rude awakening

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   The Air attrite to Fire, as late the Clouds Justling or pusht with Winds rude in thir shock

   1577, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 9

   All night no ruder air perplex ⁠Thy sliding keel, till Phosphor, bright ⁠As our pure love, thro’ early light Shall glimmer on the dewy decks.

   1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto IX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC

4. Somewhat obscene, pornographic, offensive.

   a rude film

   1 more example

   rude language

   Synonyms: adult

5. Undeveloped, unskilled, inelegant.

   Synonyms: primitive

6. Hearty, vigorous; found particularly in the phrase rude health.

   A comfortable house for a rude and hardy race, that lived mostly out of doors, was once made here almost entirely of such materials as Nature furnished ready to their hands.

   1854, Henry David Thoreau, Walden Pond

7. Crudely made; primitive.

   For a while, purple-robed, heel-dangling, I sat on the edge of one of the rude tables, under the wooshing pines.

   1955, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 1, in Lolita

8. Multicultural London EnglishslangGood, awesome.
9. Multicultural London EnglishslangSexy, hot, overtly attractive.

   Now the girl's rude, I know she's rude/But she's screwed right through you, you'll be on your knees soon

   2002, Mike Skinner, “Don't Mug Yourself”, in Original Pirate Material, performed by The Streets