Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective boorish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of boorish are churlish, clownish, and loutish. While all these words mean "uncouth in manners or appearance," boorish implies rudeness of manner due to insensitiveness to others' feelings and unwillingness to be agreeable.

a drunk's boorish behavior

When might churlish be a better fit than boorish?

While the synonyms churlish and boorish are close in meaning, churlish suggests surliness, unresponsiveness, and ungraciousness.

churlish remarks

When is it sensible to use clownish instead of boorish?

In some situations, the words clownish and boorish are roughly equivalent. However, clownish suggests ill-bred awkwardness, ignorance or stupidity, ungainliness, and often a propensity for absurd antics.

an adolescent's clownish conduct

When could loutish be used to replace boorish?

The words loutish and boorish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, loutish implies bodily awkwardness together with stupidity.

a loutish oaf

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 boorish MacFarlane will continue to provide the voice of Ted — a teddy bear brought to life by a boy’s wish, now grown up and bearing the hallmarks of a boorish Seth MacFarlane character. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2025 Harbour's loud, boorish Russian bear is funny at first, but alas, gets tiresome in a short amount of time. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 29 Apr. 2025 In fact, Gideon has looked notably uncomfortable on the righteous path, having inherited none of his father’s preaching skills, much less his boorish bluster. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025 Lead defense attorney Arthur Aidala had claimed their testimony made his client seem so boorish that jurors were all but certain to vote guilty. Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for boorish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boorish
Adjective
  • This was like loutish English tourists turning up unannounced and urinating in the holy water.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • And Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in 2013 at age 51, was the show’s tempestuous soul, playing a loutish killer with a quick temper and sad eyes.
    Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This includes uncouth habits like bad hygiene, inconsiderate acts like being self-centered or a violation of social norms.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • Even at a cautious pace, the Escort feels raw and uncouth.
    Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • Private ownership is eliminated with the goal of all goods being equally shared in a classless society.
    Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
  • For example, in Stalin’s communism, monism took the form of believing that the key is to establish a classless society — even if millions of people had to be killed to achieve that vision.
    Sigal Samuel, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Adjective
  • And refusing to congratulate his SIL is just churlish.
    Stephanie Guerilus, People.com, 21 June 2025
  • An office that demands wisdom and restraint is now debased with churlish impulsivity, rambling incoherency and overt grift.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2025
Adjective
  • The writer might have been reminded of Napoleon III, who hovers in the background of the novel as a sinister, clownish figure.
    Graham Robb, The Atlantic, 9 June 2025
  • Orange cats, particularly tabbies like Butter, are known for their quirky and often clownish personalities.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Instead, the series seems determined to prove that age is just a number by forcing its leads, now including Choudhury and Parker, to act as if 50 is the new (and very stupid) 30.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
  • Jurassic Park, based on the Michael Crichton best-seller, is an evolutionary joke: Man, the master of the universe, has become mere flesh, consumed by animals allegedly too stupid to survive.
    David Denby, Vulture, 3 July 2025
Adjective
  • Nan’s rebellion was never loud or vulgar but always quietly confident and effortlessly elegant.
    Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • The comics were often dismissed as a vulgar form, but the bad joke of our superhero-movie culture is that most of it is a vulgarization of the comics.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Boorish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boorish. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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