CHURL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does churl mean? 

• CHURL (noun)
  The noun CHURL has 3 senses:

1. a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement

2. a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend

3. a bad-tempered person

  Familiarity information: CHURL used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHURL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

barbarian; boor; churl; Goth; peasant; tike; tyke

Hypernyms ("churl" is a kind of...):

disagreeable person; unpleasant person (a person who is not pleasant or agreeable)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

churl; niggard; scrooge; skinflint

Hypernyms ("churl" is a kind of...):

hoarder (a person who accumulates things and hides them away for future use)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "churl"):

pinchgut (a niggardly person who starves himself (and others))

Sense 3

Meaning:

A bad-tempered person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

churl; crank; crosspatch; grouch; grump

Hypernyms ("churl" is a kind of...):

disagreeable person; unpleasant person (a person who is not pleasant or agreeable)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "churl"):

crab; crabby person (a quarrelsome grouch)

fire-eater; hothead (a belligerent grouch)

misanthrope; misanthropist (someone who dislikes people in general)

 Context examples 

“Besides,” said John, “the Socman of Minstead is a by-word through the forest, from Bramshaw Hill to Holmesley Walk. He is a drunken, brawling, perilous churl, as you may find to your cost.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then he would draw his glove, thus, and throw it on the ground; or, if he had cause to think that he had to deal with a churl, he might throw it in his face—as I do now!

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)