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churlish

American  
[chur-lish] / ˈtʃɜr lɪʃ /

adjective

  1. like a churl; boorish; rude.

    churlish behavior.

    Synonyms:
    uncivil, ill-natured, loutish, vulgar, uncouth, coarse
    Antonyms:
    courteous
  2. of a churl; peasantlike.

  3. stingy; mean.

  4. difficult to work or deal with, as soil.


churlish British  
/ ˈtʃɜːlɪʃ /

adjective

  1. rude or surly

  2. of or relating to peasants

  3. miserly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • churlishly adverb
  • churlishness noun
  • unchurlish adjective
  • unchurlishly adverb
  • unchurlishness noun

Etymology

Origin of churlish

Before 1000; Middle English cherlish, Old English ceorlisc. See churl, -ish 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A person would be churlish not to be moved by the two recipients’ stories Tuesday night, but awarding them what they’d earned in that venue marked the abuse of a great honor.

From The Wall Street Journal

It would also be churlish to ignore the bravery and sacrifice of so many Afghans who fought and died over two decades.

From BBC

Possibly churlish not to get the full 10, but he played a pretty ropey shot in the first innings.

From BBC

When the result is far more important than the performance, it would be churlish to nit-pick too much.

From BBC

More churlish souls might attribute such stubborn determination to craven commercial interests, but something more is in play.

From Los Angeles Times