coarser; coarsest
1
: of ordinary or inferior quality or value : common
of what coarse metal ye are molded—
Shakespeare
Shakespeare2
a(1)
: composed of relatively large parts or particles
coarse sand
(2)
: loose or rough in texture
coarse cloth
b
: adjusted or designed for heavy, fast, or less delicate work
a coarse saw with large teeth
c
: not precise or detailed with respect to adjustment or discrimination
filled in the details of the rather coarse preliminary report
3
: crude or unrefined in taste, manners, or language
4
: harsh, raucous, or rough in tone
5
chiefly British
: of or relating to coarse fish
coarse fishing
coarsely
adverb
coarseness
noun
Examples of coarse in a Sentence
He was a man of middle age with coarse, curly gray hair, a dark, pock-marked complexion and protruding, almost batrachian eyes.
—Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, (1958) 1999
He had a heavy face and a shrivelled nose and thick, coarse, bunched up skin.
—Paul Theroux, Granta, Summer 1994
She'd always been taught—and she'd felt it instinctively—that sun-braised cheeks, sallow skin and reddened hands were coarse and unsightly, the emblem of the foreigner and the day laborer.
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road To Wellville, 1993
Around the throbbing machinery was a frame of coarse wire net.
—Ursula K. Le Guin, Harper's, August 1990
The dog has a thick, coarse coat.
The fabric varies in texture from coarse to fine.
Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, (1958) 1999
He had a heavy face and a shrivelled nose and thick, coarse, bunched up skin.
—Paul Theroux, Granta, Summer 1994
She'd always been taught—and she'd felt it instinctively—that sun-braised cheeks, sallow skin and reddened hands were coarse and unsightly, the emblem of the foreigner and the day laborer.
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road To Wellville, 1993
Around the throbbing machinery was a frame of coarse wire net.
—Ursula K. Le Guin, Harper's, August 1990
The dog has a thick, coarse coat.
The fabric varies in texture from coarse to fine.
Recent Examples on the Web
Grind your own meat for sausages and burgers with the KitchenAid food grinder attachment, which comes with fine, medium, and coarse grinding plates.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 4 Nov. 2024
Just sprinkle half a lemon with coarse salt and scrub your board, then rinse with hot water.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2024
The slime green of the album cover went from a coarse aesthetic to a fashion do.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
It is also used as a natural hair mask and deep cleanser for coarse, curly, or coily textures.
—Laura Schober, Health, 11 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coarse 
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Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 4 Nov. 2024
Just sprinkle half a lemon with coarse salt and scrub your board, then rinse with hot water.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2024
The slime green of the album cover went from a coarse aesthetic to a fashion do.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
It is also used as a natural hair mask and deep cleanser for coarse, curly, or coily textures.
—Laura Schober, Health, 11 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coarse
Dictionary Entries Near coarse
Cite this Entry
“Coarse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coarse. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coarse
adjective
ˈkō(ə)rs 
ˈkȯ(ə)rs
coarser; coarsest
1
: of ordinary or poor quality
2
: made up of large parts or particles
coarse sand
3
: being harsh or rough
coarse cloth
4
: not precise or detailed : roughly approximate
5
: crude in taste, manners, or language
coarsely
adverb
coarsen
verb
ˈkōrs-ᵊn
ˈkȯrs-
coarseness
noun
Medical Definition
coarse
adjective1
: visible to the naked eye or by means of a compound microscope
coarse particles
2
of a tremor
: of wide excursion
a coarse tremor of the extremities
3
: harsh, raucous, or rough in tone
—used of some sounds heard in auscultation in pathological states of the chest
coarse rales
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