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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 In fact, it can be considered rude to show up without having confirmed your dish with the host or group. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2025 The Trial Guy, though loath to seem rude, noted some fresh aches: hip flexors, ribs, mat burn on the tops of his toes. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025 The incident sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some criticizing Wallen’s actions on the show as rude. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2025 This, experts say, is a punctuation choice that can make messages appear uncertain or vague, which confuses recipients and sometimes comes off as passive aggressive and rude. Angela Haupt, Time, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rude
Adjective
  • Raw also advertised Bayley challenging Lyra Valkyria for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio and the world’s most clumsy GM Adam Pearce making his next fumble of the worst storyline going this WrestleMania season between Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • This is why the Trump administration’s DOGE exercise — while clumsy at times — is such an important endeavor despite Democratic efforts to discredit it.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 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
  • Those other countries don’t seem to have the same proportion of crass blowhards in their political structure as the U.S.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Slipshod, crass, and sick, these jokes, dialling in from abroad and at home, were distinct from the humor that had followed other U.S. catastrophes.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In contrast, East Asia witnessed a 300-year period of peace between the 1590s and 1894, broken only by defensive engagements against barbarian incursions and five fairly small two-state wars.
    Michael Mann, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2012
  • 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
Adjective
  • But Slingshot’s breach of contract suit alleges that Angel continually broke provisions of their agreement, and sometimes seemed entirely ignorant of them.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Naturally, this poor woman is ignorant of her friend Susan’s role in her granddaughter’s disappearance.
    Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • More so, because bearish sentiment was already well entrenched in world’s crude markets before the latest events unfolded.
    Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The price of crude oil tumbled to its lowest level since 2021.
    Elaine Kurtenbach, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But after a rough start, Budenholzer benched Nurkić and removed him from the rotation.
    Doug Haller, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Two paratroopers were injured after a rough landing that was caught on video at a baseball game in Arizona.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The adjustable-length stirrups will suit a wide range of riders, holding onto a rudimentary handlebar and sitting on a floating seat unit long enough to take a passenger, and capable of moving independently from the robot's ... butt joints.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Added to the chaos is the underlying rudimentary calculation of tariff levels that have produced wildly uneven and irrational effects on trading partners with no readily discernible policy value.
    Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rude. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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