What does crass mean?
Word: Crass
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Crass means rude and showing no thought for other people's feelings; also very great in a foolish way, as in crass stupidity.
Synonyms: insensitive, tactless, thoughtless, crude
Antonyms: tactful, sensitive, thoughtful
Word origin: Comes from Latin crassus, 'thick' or 'solid', which came to mean dull or thick-headed.
How do you spell crass?
Syllables: crass
Tricky part: It ends in a double s, as class and mass do. Students drop one s (cras) or add an e (crase).
Watch out for: cras, crase
Memory tip: Crass doubles its s like class and mass: a crass remark in class.
Crass in a sentence
Example 1: It was crass of him to check his phone all through his friend's dance show.
Example 2: The film was spoilt by crass jokes about people's looks.
Example 3: Leaving the stadium without thanking the ground staff felt crass.
Fun Fact
The Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus, once the richest man in Rome, had a family name from the same Latin word, meaning 'thick' or 'fat'.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank: Yawning loudly all through a friend's music recital is ___.
a) frugal
b) crass
c) meek
d) candid
Show answer
b) crass. Candid means frank, frugal means careful with money and meek means quiet; rude, thoughtless behaviour like this is crass.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) amass
b) impasse
c) krass
d) morass
Show answer
c) krass. Crass starts with a c, as class and cross do.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. crass 2. lavish 3. feeble a. weak b. boorish c. extravagant
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. Crass is close to boorish, lavish to extravagant, and feeble to weak.
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with crass?
a) gas
b) alas
c) mass
d) cross
Show answer
d) cross. Cross has the o of hot; mass, gas and alas share the short a of crass.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which would be a crass thing to say at a farewell party for a teacher?
a) At last we get a quieter classroom.
b) Thank you for everything you taught us.
c) We will miss your stories.
d) Please visit us again soon.
Show answer
a) At last we get a quieter classroom.
2. Which guest is being crass at a wedding?
a) one who thanks the hosts for a lovely meal
b) one who loudly asks the price of the bride's jewellery
c) one who helps an elderly aunt to her seat
d) one who dances with the bride's little cousins
Show answer
b) one who loudly asks the price of the bride's jewellery
