uncouth

English

Etymology

From Middle English uncouth, from Old English uncūþ (“unknown; unfamiliar; strange”), from Proto-West Germanic *unkunþ, from Proto-Germanic *unkunþaz (“unknown”), equivalent to un- +‎ couth.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈkuːθ/

• Audio

  (file)

  Rhymes: -uːθ

Adjective

uncouth (comparative uncouther or more uncouth, superlative uncouthest or most uncouth)

1. (archaic) Unfamiliar, strange, foreign.

   Antonym: (obsolete) couth

   • 1819 June 23​, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “The Voyage”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number I, New York, N.Y.: […] C. S. Van Winkle, […], OCLC 1090970992, page 14:

     There was a delicious sensation of mingled security and awe with which I looked down, from my giddy height, on the monsters of the deep at their uncouth gambols.

2. Clumsy, awkward.

   Synonym: fremd

3. Unrefined, crude.

   Synonyms: impolite; see also Thesaurus:impolite

   Antonym: couth

   • 1699, Samuel Garth, 'The Dispensary', Canto IV, line 204:

     Harsh words, though pertinent, uncouth appear: / None please the fancy, who offend the ear.

   • 2014, James Lambert, “A Much Tortured Expression: A New Look At `Hobson-Jobson'”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 27, number 1, page 58:

     If Yule found it delightful, why did Kipling find it uncouth?

   • 2021 May 10, Ian Prasad Philbrick, quoting Brian Fallon, “‘We May Not Have a Full Two Years’: Democrats’ Plans Hinge on Good Health”, in The New York Times‎^[1], ISSN 0362-4331:

     “I don’t think it’s uncouth to talk about it. I think it’s a reality that has to inform the urgency with which we approach those issues.”

Derived terms

• uncouthness

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵneh₃-‎ (0 c, 41 e)

Translations

unfamiliar, strange, foreign

• Finnish: outo (fi), vieras (fi)
• Galician: forasteiro m, foraño m, estrano m, estraio m, estanio m, alleo (gl) m
• German: fremd (de), fremdartig (de), sonderbar (de)
• Italian: strano (it)
• Norwegian: underlig (no)

• Occitan: estranh (oc)
• Portuguese: estranho (pt), esquisito (pt)
• Russian: необы́чный (ru) (neobýčnyj)
• Swedish: underlig (sv)

clumsy, awkward

• Finnish: kömpelö (fi)
• Galician: tarosco m, farouteiro m, tougallo m, brután m, xounón m, teirugo m, bestello m, bascallo m, buzaco m, baldragas m, baldrocas m, baldroqueiro m, alarbe (gl) m, alarbio m
• German: tölpelhaft (de), schwerfällig (de), ungeschickt (de)
• Italian: goffo (it)
• Norwegian: keitete, klossete

• Portuguese: desajeitado (pt)
• Russian: неуклю́жий (ru) (neukljúžij), нело́вкий (ru) (nelóvkij), неповоро́тливый (ru) (nepovorótlivyj)
• Spanish: bruto (es), torpe (es)

unrefined, crude

• Arabic: فَظّ‎ (faẓẓ)
• Armenian: բռի (hy) (bṙi)
• Finnish: karkea (fi), tökerö, hiomaton (fi), raaka (fi), hienostumaton, epähieno (fi), tahditon (fi)
• French: rustre (fr) m or f
• German: grobschlächtig (de), tumb (de)
• Greek: άξεστος (el) m (áxestos)

  Ancient: βάναυσος (bánausos)

• Hungarian: faragatlan (hu), csiszolatlan (hu)
• Irish: aibéiseach, amhlánta, amhchaoin

• Italian: rozzo (it), grossolano (it), grezzo (it) m, squasinodeo m
• Latin: horridus
• Maori: mohoao, mohowao, tūhourangi, pakirara
• Norwegian: ukultivert
• Occitan: ruste, grossièr, brut (oc)
• Plautdietsch: onbeschläpen, bollboarich
• Portuguese: bruto (pt)
• Russian: гру́бый (ru) (grúbyj), неотёсанный (ru) (neotjósannyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: gràisgeil
• Spanish: grosero (es), basto (es), chocarrero
• Swedish: ohyfsad (sv), ofin (sv), ohövlig (sv)

Anagrams

• untouch