Word of the Day : March 12, 2022

uncouth

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adjective un-KOOTH

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What It Means

Uncouth means "behaving in a rude way" or "not polite or socially acceptable."

// Stacy realized it would be uncouth to show up to the party without a gift, so she picked up a bottle of wine on the way.

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uncouth in Context

"The Senate president had the power to call the vote at any time and end debate, but custom, courtesy, and precedent prevented such an uncouth step." — The Journal-Advocate (Sterling, Colorado), 24 Jan. 2022

Did You Know?

Uncouth comes from Old English cūth, meaning "familiar" or "known," prefixed by un-, giving the meaning "unfamiliar." How did a word that meant "unfamiliar" come to mean "outlandish," "rugged," or "rude"? Some examples from literature illustrate that the transition happened quite naturally. In Captain Singleton, Daniel Defoe refers to "a strange noise more uncouth than any they had ever heard." In William Shakespeare's As You Like It, Orlando tells Adam, "If this uncouth forest yield anything savage, I will either be food for it or bring it for food to thee." In Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane fears "to look over his shoulder, lest he should behold some uncouth being tramping close behind him!" So, that which is unfamiliar is often perceived as strange, wild, or unpleasant. Meanings such as "outlandish," "rugged," or "rude" naturally follow.