rude

UK: /ˈruːd/ US: /rud/ ,(ro̅o̅d)

Inflections of 'rude' (adj):

ruder

adj comparative

rudest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

rude /rud/   adj., rud•er, rud•est. 

1. impolite, esp. deliberately so:
   a rude reply.
2. without culture, learning, or refinement;
   uncouth.
3. rough, harsh, or ungentle:
   [before a noun] a rude shock.
4. roughly built or made:
   [before a noun] a rude cottage.

rude•ly, adv.: 

He answered rudely that he didn't give a damn.

rude•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

rude  (ro̅o̅d), adj., rud•er, rud•est. 

1. discourteous or impolite, esp. in a deliberate way:
   a rude reply.
2. without culture, learning, or refinement:
   rude, illiterate peasants.
3. rough in manners or behavior;
   unmannerly;
   uncouth.
4. rough, harsh, or ungentle:
   rude hands.
5. roughly wrought, built, or formed;
   of a crude construction or kind:
   a rude cottage.
6. not properly or fully developed;
   raw;
   unevolved:
   a rude first stage of development.
7. harsh to the ear:
   rude sounds.
8. without artistic elegance;
   of a primitive simplicity:
   a rude design.
9. violent or tempestuous, as the waves.
10. robust, sturdy, or vigorous:
    rude strength.
11. approximate or tentative:
    a rude first calculation of costs.

• Latin rudis
• Old French)
• Middle English rude, ruide (1300–50

rude′ly, adv. 
rude′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. uncivil, unmannerly, curt, brusque, impertinent, impudent, saucy, pert, fresh.
• 1, 3. See boorish. 
• 2. unrefined, uncultured, uncivilized, uncouth, coarse, vulgar, rough.
• 6. See raw. 
• 8. rustic, artless.
• 9. stormy, fierce, tumultuous, turbulent.

Rude  (ryd), n. 

Fran•çois  (frän swa′), 1784–1855, French sculptor.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

rude / ruːd/ adjective

1. insulting or uncivil; discourteous; impolite
2. lacking refinement; coarse or uncouth
3. vulgar or obscene: a rude joke
4. unexpected and unpleasant: a rude awakening to the facts of economic life
5. roughly or crudely made: we made a rude shelter on the island
6. rough or harsh in sound, appearance, or behaviour
7. humble or lowly
8. (prenominal) robust or sturdy: in rude health
9. (prenominal) approximate or imprecise: a rude estimate

Etymology: 14th Century: via Old French from Latin rudis coarse, unformed

ˈrudely adverb

ˈrudeness, ˈrudery noun