Word of the Day:

"The Senate president had the power to call the vote at any time and end debate, but custom, courtesy, and precedent prevented such an uncouth step." — The Journal-Advocate (Sterling, Colorado), 24 Jan. 2022

More example sentences

Uncouth comes from Old English cūth, meaning "familiar" or "known," prefixed by un-, giving the meaning "unfamiliar." How did a word that meant "unfamiliar" come to mean "outlandish," "rugged," or "rude"? Some examples from literature illustrate that the transition happened quite naturally. In Captain Singleton, Daniel Defoe refers to "a strange noise more uncouth than any they had ever heard." In William Shakespeare's As You Like It, Orlando tells Adam, "If this uncouth forest yield anything savage, I will either be food for it or bring it for food to thee." In Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane fears "to look over his shoulder, lest he should behold some uncouth being tramping close behind him!" So, that which is unfamiliar is often perceived as strange, wild, or unpleasant. Meanings such as "outlandish," "rugged," or "rude" naturally follow.