churl

noun

ˈchər(-ə)l How to pronounce churl (audio)
Definition of churlnext
1
as in peasant
an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country as far as he was concerned, anyone from outside the city was a backwater churl

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in miser
a mean grasping person who is usually stingy with money don't bother asking for donations at that house—the churl who lives there believes that charity begins and ends at home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others a churl who gets thrown out of parties with remarkable regularity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 churl But the cartoonish executive in Episode 1 will require a Grinch-like turnaround to become anything but a clownish churl. — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2022 Only a churl would lament the existence of these testaments to the out-of-nowhere potential of a great pop hit. — Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for churl
  1. peasant
  2. miser
  3. jerk
  4. hick
  5. dog
  6. clown
  7. bumpkin
  8. yokel
Noun
  • Mansour persevered, turning out bright canvases of olive groves and peasants that brought to mind his former home and were well received.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Andrew Garfield is not just a rebellious peasant in his upcoming action period drama.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of peasant
Noun
  • But great writers and great mathematicians were able to overcome their inner cognitive miser and use these new technologies to great effect.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Johnny Depp looks unrecognizable in full costume as the Christmas Carol miser to promote his upcoming film Ebenezer at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Definition of miser
Noun
  • The latter accidentally does happen, which leads to power struggles between the bigoted jerk and our trio of heroines.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Duffy, for his part, came across as a real jerk at times, but surprisingly charming at others, with a half-nerd, half-jock mien—sweepy hair, big glasses, a megawatt smile—that put me in mind of a Wisconsin Sam Seaborn.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerk
Noun
  • When Johnson was vice president and visiting Europe, there were reports filed by these British ambassadors in several countries that basically made fun of him as a hick.
    — Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
  • So a bunch of hicks from Topeka were left up to our own devices of going down to Robert Hall and finding something that might be kind of cool.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of hick
Noun
  • The local community has also rallied to help the family by delivering meals, caring for their kids and walking their dog.
    — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Four months later, he was seen last weekend walking dogs, taking walks, enjoying a cup of coffee in a garage, and even stopping to sift through neighborhood trash items on the side of the street.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • But my favorite Tim Curry performance will always be Pennywise, the clown in Tommy Lee Wallace’s 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It, which, compared to Andy Muschietti’s mega popular pair of films, is modest, even a little lame.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Curry, who died Tuesday at 80, made a gleefully evil turn as a clown that sparked nightmares for legions of Gen X and millennial viewers that continue to haunt to this day.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • Simply put, the small-town bumpkins from North Florida who support this idea should be made to pay for it.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Clifton loved motorcycles and, as Hawkins said, was a country bumpkin who loved nature.
    — Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of bumpkin
Noun
  • Kerry learned this the hard way after allowing Jordan to question what appeared to be a local yokel over the mysterious shooting at a Rushville high school football game.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
  • It was left to the feds in Boston to arrest Farwell, after Meatball’s local yokels adamantly refused to do anything other than try to broom the crime by one of their own.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Definition of yokel

Browse Nearby Words

churchyards
churl
churlish
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Cite this Entry

“Churl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/churl. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on churl

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about churl

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