Basic Details
Word: Boorish
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Rough and rude in manner, with no thought for other people's feelings.
Synonyms: rude, ill-mannered, uncouth, coarse
Antonyms: polite, courteous, refined, gracious
Word origin: Comes from Dutch boer, 'farmer'. Townspeople once used boor as an unkind word for country people, and it came to mean a rude person.
How to Spell Boorish
Syllables: boor - ish
Tricky part: There are two o's at the start, as in door. Borish and bourish are the usual errors.
Watch out for: borish, bourish, boorrish
Memory tip: A boor is a rude person, so boorish is boor + ish, the same ending as childish. A boorish guest slams the door: boor and door both have oo.
Usage Examples
Example 1: His boorish jokes spoiled the family dinner.
Example 2: The umpire warned the player about his boorish behaviour on the field.
Example 3: It is boorish to talk loudly on the phone in a hospital.
Fun Fact
The same Dutch word boer is used today for the Boers, the Dutch-speaking farmers who settled in southern Africa.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the suffix -ish to make a real adjective. Choose it:
-ish
a) polite
b) honest
c) gentle
d) boor
Show answer
d) boor. Boor + ish gives boorish; the other three are already adjectives and do not take -ish.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word boorish as used in the sentence:
His boorish remarks at the wedding lunch upset the bride's family.
a) coarse
b) courteous
c) crude
d) rude
Show answer
b) courteous. Boorish remarks are rude; courteous remarks are polite and thoughtful, the exact reverse.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
bo_r_sh
a) u, i
b) u, e
c) o, i
d) o, e
Show answer
c) o, i. Start with boor, two o's, and add the ending -ish.
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:
The ohribos fan shouted at the umpire through the whole match.
a) boyish
b) brutish
c) boorish
d) bookish
Show answer
c) boorish. The jumble has an r and two o's but no u, y or k, so only boorish fits.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which action is boorish?
a) pushing to the front of a queue
b) holding a door open
c) thanking the bus driver
d) waiting for your turn
Show answer
a) pushing to the front of a queue
2. A boor is ____.
a) a kind of drum
b) a rude, rough person
c) a dull talk
d) a wild pig
Show answer
b) a rude, rough person
