Meaning & use
rude
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Showing bad manners or little respect for others in what you say or do.
Grammar: Often used with to or about: rude to a waiter, rude about her cooking.
Patterns
- rude to someone
- rude about something
- it is rude to do something
It is rude to talk with your mouth full.
The waiter was rude to the customers.
I didn't mean to be rude, but I have to leave.
adjectivecomparableBritishinformal
Dealing with sex or bodily functions in a way that may embarrass or offend people.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: a rude joke, a rude word.
The comedian told a rude joke and the room fell silent.
He scribbled a rude word on the desk.
adjectivebefore a nounliterary
Sudden and unpleasant, as in a shock or surprise.
Grammar: Appears mostly in set expressions: a rude awakening, a rude shock.
Patterns
- a rude awakening
- a rude shock
The cold water was a rude shock after the warm bath.
Moving abroad gave her a rude awakening about prices.
adjectivebefore a nounold-fashionedliterary
Simple and roughly made.
Grammar: Appears before a noun and is old-fashioned: a rude shelter.
The travelers slept in a rude hut made of branches.
He built a rude table from old planks.
Word forms
| comparative | ruder |
|---|---|
| superlative | rudest |
Common combinations
- incredibly rude
- It was incredibly rude to leave without saying goodbye.
- rude awakening
- The first week of work was a rude awakening.
- rude remark
- His rude remark hurt her feelings.
- rude to someone
- Don't be rude to your guests.
- rude gesture
- The driver made a rude gesture and sped off.
Synonyms and how they differ
- impolite
- Impolite is milder and more formal, whereas rude can sound sharper and more critical.
- disrespectful
- Disrespectful stresses a lack of respect toward a particular person, while rude covers bad manners generally.
- cheeky
- Cheeky, mostly British, is playful and lighter, whereas rude is usually serious.
- offensive
- Offensive is stronger and implies causing real insult or hurt, not just bad manners.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: rude or crude?
rude vs crude
Crude means rough or vulgar and is sometimes used for bad language, while rude is about bad manners; crude can also mean unrefined, as in crude oil.
Practice
It is considered ___ to check your phone while someone is talking to you.
Choose one answer.
Ignoring someone who is speaking shows bad manners, so rude fits. Polite is the opposite, and generous or shy do not describe manners.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rude”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.