rude
Definitions
Offensively impolite or bad-mannered.
粗鲁的，无礼的。
Sudden and unpleasant; abrupt (as in a rude awakening).
突然而令人不快的；猛然的（如 a rude awakening）。
Roughly made or simple; primitive.
粗糙简陋的；原始的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedStraight from Latin rudis ('rough, unworked'). Rude first meant 'unpolished, uneducated' — a rude hut was roughly built, a rude person was unrefined. Over time the 'unrefined' sense narrowed onto manners, giving today's main meaning 'bad-mannered.' The older 'rough/abrupt' sense survives in 'a rude awakening.'
Root rud still carries 20 more wordsWhy It Means This
Rude is a word that quietly shrank. It once described anything rough — rough huts, rough manners, rough learning. English kept narrowing it until 'rude' mostly meant social rudeness. But the original breadth peeks through in fixed phrases: 'a rude awakening' isn't an impolite one, it's a harsh, jarring one — the older 'rough' meaning frozen in place.
Common Collocations
- 1.rude awakening当头棒喝，猛然的觉醒
- 2.rude behaviour粗鲁的行为
- 3.be rude to someone对某人无礼
- 4.rude remark无礼的言论
Example Sentences
- 1.
It was rude of him to leave without saying goodbye.
- 2.
Don't be rude to the waiter; he's only doing his job.
- 3.
The phone bill was a rude awakening after a month of careless calls.
Easily Confused
rude vs impolite — both mean ill-mannered, but rude is stronger and blunter: rude can mean actively offensive or vulgar, while impolite is the milder, more formal 'not polite.' Cutting in line is impolite; shouting an insult is rude.
Synonym Comparison
- rude — blunt, offensive, ill-mannered
- impolite — mild, formal: simply not polite
- discourteous — formal, about lack of courtesy
- insolent — rude with disrespect toward authority
- vulgar — rude in a coarse, crude way