gauche

pronunciation

How to pronounce gauche in British English: UK [ɡəʊʃ]word uk audio image

How to pronounce gauche in American English: US [ɡoʊʃ] word us audio image

  • Adjective:
    lacking social polish

Word Origin

gauche (adj.)
"awkward, tactless," 1751 (Chesterfield), from French gauche "left" (15c., replacing senestre in that sense), originally "awkward, awry," from gauchir "turn aside, swerve," from Proto-Germanic *wankjan (cognates: Old High German wankon, Old Norse vakka "to stagger, totter"), from PIE *weng- "to bend, curve" (see wink (v.)).

Example

1. He now seems gauche and uninteresting .
2. Too gauche to leave the room when the conversation became intimate .
3. Paris marriott rive gauche hotel & conference center .
4. I find him terribly gauche .
5. We wouldn 't want to be gauche , would we , sweetie ?

more: >How to Use "gauche" with Example Sentences