Standard Lemma guide

rudeness

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R UW1 D N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The property of being rude.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • His rudeness was inexcusable.
  • The rudeness of the cabin gave it a rustic charm but little comfort.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A rude remark or behaviour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • I'm sick of his rudenesses.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a manner that is rude and insulting

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: discourtesy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: manner, personal manner

Narrower terms: boorishness, impoliteness, ungraciousness, incivility, abruptness, brusqueness, curtness, gruffness, shortness, contempt, disrespect, crust, gall, impertinence, impudence, insolence, cheekiness, freshness

4

noun

Meaning 4

a wild or unrefined state

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crudeness, crudity, primitiveness, primitivism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wild, natural state, state of nature

History

Etymology

From Middle English rudenesse, equivalent to rude + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

46 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: կոպտություն (koptutʻyun) — property of being rude
  • Armenian: անքաղաքավարություն (ankʻaġakʻavarutʻyun) — property of being rude
  • Bulgarian: грубост (grubost) — property of being rude
  • Chichewa: mbwinya — property of being rude
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無禮 /无礼 (wúlǐ) — property of being rude
  • Chinese Mandarin: 粗魯 /粗鲁 (cūlǔ) — property of being rude
  • Chinese Mandarin: 失禮 /失礼 (shīlǐ) — property of being rude
  • Dutch: grofheid — property of being rude
  • Dutch: botheid — property of being rude
  • Esperanto: malĝentilo — property of being rude
  • Faroese: óflýggjaskapur — property of being rude
  • Finnish: töykeys — property of being rude
  • Finnish: epäkohteliaisuus — property of being rude
  • Finnish: karkeakäytöksisyys — property of being rude
  • French: impolitesse — property of being rude
  • German: Grobheit — property of being rude
  • German: Unhöflichkeit — property of being rude
  • Greek: αγένεια (agéneia) — property of being rude
  • Hindi: अशिष्टता (aśiṣṭatā) — property of being rude
  • Irish: boirbe — property of being rude
  • Irish: drochmhúineadh — property of being rude
  • Italian: villania — property of being rude
  • Japanese: 無礼 (burei) — property of being rude
  • Japanese: 失礼 (shitsurei) — property of being rude
  • Māori: āhuaatua — property of being rude
  • Marathi: उद्धटपणा (uddhaṭapṇā) — property of being rude
  • Marathi: उर्मटपणा (urmaṭapṇā) — property of being rude
  • Plautdietsch: Groffheit — property of being rude
  • Portuguese: grosseria — property of being rude
  • Romanian: impolitețe — property of being rude
  • Romanian: necuviință — property of being rude
  • Russian: гру́бость (grúbostʹ) — property of being rude
  • Russian: неве́жливость (nevéžlivostʹ) — property of being rude
  • Scottish Gaelic: mì-mhodh — property of being rude
  • Spanish: grosería — property of being rude
  • Spanish: ordinariez — property of being rude
  • Turkish: kabalık — property of being rude
  • Ukrainian: гру́бість (hrúbistʹ) — property of being rude
  • Ukrainian: невві́чливість (nevvíčlyvistʹ) — property of being rude
  • Ukrainian: нече́мність (nečémnistʹ) — property of being rude
  • Ukrainian: неви́хованість (nevýxovanistʹ) — property of being rude
  • Faroese: ófólkaligur atburður — a rude remark or behaviour
  • German: grobe Bemerkung — a rude remark or behaviour
  • German: grobes Benehmen — a rude remark or behaviour
  • German: unhöfliches Benehmen — a rude remark or behaviour
  • Ukrainian: гру́бість (hrúbistʹ) — a rude remark or behaviour