churl
pronunciation
How to pronounce churl in British English:
UK [tʃɜ:l]
How to pronounce churl in American English:
US [tʃɜrl]
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- Noun:
- a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
- a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend
- a bad-tempered person
Word Origin
- churl (n.)
- Old English ceorl "peasant, freeman, man without rank," from Proto-Germanic *kerlaz, *karlaz (cognates: Old Frisian zerl "man, fellow," Middle Low German kerle, Dutch kerel "freeman of low degree," German Kerl "man, husband," Old Norse karl "old man, man"). It had various meaning in early Middle English, including "man of the common people," "a country man," "husbandman," "free peasant;" by 1300, it meant "bondman, villain," also "fellow of low birth or rude manners." For words for "common man" that acquire an insulting flavor over time, compare boor, villain. In this case, however, the same word also has come to mean "king" in many languages (such as Lithuanian karalius, Czech kral, Polish król) via Charlemagne.
Antonym
Example
- 1. " Churlish . F , like , or befitting a churl ; boorish or vulgar . "
- 2. And tender churl , makest waste in niggarding .
- 3. He must have had some ups and downs in life to make him such a churl .
- 4. Churlish : like , or befitting a churl ; boorish or vulgar .
- 5. He must have had some ups and downs in life to make him such a churl . Do you know anything of his history ?