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Synonym Chooser

How is the word coarse different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of coarse are gross, obscene, ribald, and vulgar. While all these words mean "offensive to good taste or morals," coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

When can gross be used instead of coarse?

The words gross and coarse can be used in similar contexts, but gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

gross eating habits

When could obscene be used to replace coarse?

While the synonyms obscene and coarse are close in meaning, obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

obscene language not allowed on the air

Where would ribald be a reasonable alternative to coarse?

The meanings of ribald and coarse largely overlap; however, ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

When might vulgar be a better fit than coarse?

The words vulgar and coarse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

a loud vulgar belch

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of coarse Process basil leaves, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in food processor until mixture forms coarse paste. Judy Bart Kancigor, Orange County Register, 30 Jan. 2025 Despite its flashy genre mash-up, Emilia Pérez is stuck with a coarse, unappealing protagonist. Armond White, National Review, 29 Jan. 2025 Why do populists connect to the public using coarse language? Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025 Drip coffee is made with a coarse coffee grind, and the cold brew is brewed similarly but at a slightly lower temperature. Jaina Grey, WIRED, 12 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coarse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coarse
Adjective
  • However, these arrangements were not mere shakedowns; they were anchored in strategic diplomacy and geopolitical calculus, rather than vulgar profiteering.
    Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Her Facebook and email had been flooded with vulgar, inflammatory responses.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The truth about our involvement in Ukraine to oppose Russia is obscene.
    Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2025
  • The amount of cash being tossed around is obscene, and that’s part of what makes the show guiltily watchable.
    James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Davis and subsequently Streep — whose acceptance speech included a biographical survey of half the celebrities in the room and a call for resistance made in a voice gone hoarse by hollering at Women’s March protests the day before — know the only way out is through.
    Vulture Staff, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025
  • While working through the audio issues, Billy Ray wandered the stage, sang a cappella, and left some viewers concerned about his hoarse voice and at times erratic behavior.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Sea oats and fir trees dance in the breeze as seagulls squawk in a bright blue sky and the mighty Pacific crashes against the jagged shoreline a few dozen yards away.
    Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 12 Feb. 2025
  • The neck’s jagged base suggests that the head was torn from a larger, perhaps full-length figure, but the sculpture reveals almost no other significant damage.
    Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • And another research team, using data from 2015 to 2022, observed in an article available in Energy Research and Social Science that poor income distribution correlates with social unrest when fossil fuel subsidies are removed.
    Aldo Flores-Quiroga, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Federal workers got commendations, awards, positive reviews – and then were fired for 'poor performance' Taxes are coming.
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The clear turquoise water of Oura Bay comes right up to the hotel’s beach—rocky in some parts, sandy in others.
    Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Due to the sandy terrain, tent campers will want to bring extra-long stakes.
    Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • For climate advocates, Forrest citing his mining company’s financial performance might sound a bit crass coming from a billionaire who hops around the world on a private plane.
    Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Ak — who was previously accused of rape — was immediately faced with accusations of grooming, later admitting to his crass behavior.
    Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Ashanti’s lithe voice perfectly complimented Ja’s gruff vocal tone, providing Murder Inc.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025
  • The gruff men are Danny and Kyle McCray, an estranged father and son who’ve been reunited by a medical emergency.
    Elisabeth Egan, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Coarse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coarse. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on coarse

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