churlish

adj
/ˈtʃɜːlɪʃ/UK/ˈt͡ʃɝːlɪʃ/US

Etymology

From Middle English churlysshe, cherlissh, from late Old English ċeorlisċ, ċierlisċ (“of or pertaining to churls”), equivalent to churl + -ish.

  1. inherited from ċeorlisċ
  2. inherited from churlysshe

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to a serf, peasant, or rustic.

    • […] the eloquence and truth of his tribute stands in marked contrast to Kramer's churlish caricature of Kael as a happy pig wallowing in the dirt.
  2. Rude, surly, ungracious.

    • [A]nd it is without all controuerſie, that learning doth make the minds of men gentle, generous, maniable, and pliant to gouernment; whereas Ignorance makes them churliſh, thwart, and mutinous; […]
  3. Stingy or grudging.

  4. + 1 more definition
    1. Difficult to till, lacking pliancy

      Difficult to till, lacking pliancy; unmanageable.

      • 1730–1774, Oliver Goldsmith, Introductory to Switzerland Where the bleak Swiss their stormy mansion tread, And force a churlish soil for scanty bread.

The neighborhood

Derived

unchurlish

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for churlish. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA