coarse
adjective
ˈkȯrs 
coarser; coarsest
1
: of ordinary or inferior quality or value : common
of what coarse metal ye are molded
Shakespeare
Shakespeare2
a(1)
: composed of relatively large parts or particles
coarse sand
(2)
: loose or rough in texture
coarse cloth
b
: adjusted or designed for heavy, fast, or less delicate work
a coarse saw with large teeth
c
: not precise or detailed with respect to adjustment or discrimination
filled in the details of the rather coarse preliminary report
3
: crude or unrefined in taste, manners, or language
4
: harsh, raucous, or rough in tone
5
chiefly British : of or relating to coarse fish
coarse fishing
coarsely adverb
coarseness noun
Synonyms
- grained
- grainy
- granular
- granulated
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He was a man of middle age with coarse, curly gray hair, a dark, pock-marked complexion and protruding, almost batrachian eyes. Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, (1958) 1999 He had a heavy face and a shrivelled nose and thick, coarse, bunched up skin. Paul Theroux, Granta, Summer 1994 She'd always been taught—and she'd felt it instinctively—that sun-braised cheeks, sallow skin and reddened hands were coarse and unsightly, the emblem of the foreigner and the day laborer. T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road To Wellville, 1993 Around the throbbing machinery was a frame of coarse wire net. Ursula K. Le Guin, Harper's, August 1990 The dog has a thick, coarse coat. The fabric varies in texture from coarse to fine. See More
Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, (1958) 1999 He had a heavy face and a shrivelled nose and thick, coarse, bunched up skin. Paul Theroux, Granta, Summer 1994 She'd always been taught—and she'd felt it instinctively—that sun-braised cheeks, sallow skin and reddened hands were coarse and unsightly, the emblem of the foreigner and the day laborer. T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road To Wellville, 1993 Around the throbbing machinery was a frame of coarse wire net. Ursula K. Le Guin, Harper's, August 1990 The dog has a thick, coarse coat. The fabric varies in texture from coarse to fine. See More Recent Examples on the Web But despite this coarse resolution, flies see and process fast movements very quickly. CNN, 7 Sep. 2022 All of this is densely communicated in coarse punchlines, reinforcing the nearly-imperceptible space between tragedy and comedy. Shamira Ibrahim, refinery29.com, 6 Sep. 2022 Making cold brew starts by steeping coarse coffee grounds in cold water over a long period of time — usually 12 to 24 hours. Nicole Papantoniou, Good Housekeeping, 6 Sep. 2022 Others complained about coarse language and the political nature of the hearings. Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 23 Aug. 2022 Contains coarse language throughout, some violence and bloody images. Michael O'sullivan, Anchorage Daily News, 20 July 2022 Contains coarse language throughout and some violence. Michael O'sullivan, Washington Post, 30 June 2022 Yet not even Hart’s sheer, headlong Kevin Hart-ness can do anything for this loud, coarse, flaccid comedy. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2022 Soft bristle brushes are best for those with fine to medium hair, while hard bristle brushes are best for those with thick or coarse hair. Cristina Montemayor, Men's Health, 25 Aug. 2022 See More
CNN, 7 Sep. 2022 All of this is densely communicated in coarse punchlines, reinforcing the nearly-imperceptible space between tragedy and comedy. Shamira Ibrahim, refinery29.com, 6 Sep. 2022 Making cold brew starts by steeping coarse coffee grounds in cold water over a long period of time — usually 12 to 24 hours. Nicole Papantoniou, Good Housekeeping, 6 Sep. 2022 Others complained about coarse language and the political nature of the hearings. Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 23 Aug. 2022 Contains coarse language throughout, some violence and bloody images. Michael O'sullivan, Anchorage Daily News, 20 July 2022 Contains coarse language throughout and some violence. Michael O'sullivan, Washington Post, 30 June 2022 Yet not even Hart’s sheer, headlong Kevin Hart-ness can do anything for this loud, coarse, flaccid comedy. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2022 Soft bristle brushes are best for those with fine to medium hair, while hard bristle brushes are best for those with thick or coarse hair. Cristina Montemayor, Men's Health, 25 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English cors, perhaps from course, noun — see course entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing coarse
Kids Definition
coarse
adjective
ˈkȯrs
coarser; coarsest
1
: having a harsh or rough quality
coarse dry skin
a coarse fabric
2
: made up of large particles
coarse sand
3
: crude in taste, manners, or language
4
: of poor or ordinary quality
Medical Definition
coarse
adjective
ˈkō(ə)rs, ˈkȯ(ə)rs
1
: visible to the naked eye or by means of a compound microscope
coarse particles
2
of a tremor : of wide excursion
a coarse tremor of the extremities
3
: harsh, raucous, or rough in tone —used of some sounds heard in auscultation in pathological states of the chest
coarse rales
coarse
adjective
1
as in grained
made up of large particles coarse rock salt was sprinkled on the icy walkway Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- grained
- sandy
- granular
- granulated
- stony
- grainy
- rocky
- pebbly
- gravelly
- cracked
- unfiltered
- unrefined
- coarse-grained
- earthy
- gritty
- lumpy
- stoney
- mealy
- kibbled
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fine
- dusty
- superfine
- ultrafine
- powdery
- smooth
- floury
- velvety
- buttery
- refined
- filtered
- ground
- comminuted
- reduced
- milled
- pulverized
- levigated
- triturated
- micronized
- mulled
- close-grained
- pestled
2
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste the hockey player's coarse manners turned his date off completely Synonyms & Similar Words
- vulgar
- crass
- rude
- crude
- rough
- common
- gross
- unrefined
- uncouth
- rugged
- unpolished
- uncultured
- low
- clumsy
- tasteless
- lowbrow
- uncultivated
- raffish
- roughneck
- ill-bred
- rough-hewn
- boorish
- insensible
- illiberal
- ungentlemanly
- loutish
- rustic
- incult
- lumpish
- lowbred
- clownish
- cloddish
- unsophisticated
- insensitive
- indelicate
- churlish
- thoughtless
- lubberly
- uncivilized
- unmannered
- inconsiderate
- oafish
- inelegant
- countrified
- barbaric
- tacky
- rustical
- barbarous
- unmannerly
- graceless
- mannerless
- provincial
- animallike
- countryfied
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- smooth
- polished
- civilized
- cultured
- genteel
- refined
- tasteful
- cultivated
- aristocratic
- elegant
- sensitive
- graceful
- patrician
- well-bred
- restrained
- courtly
- sophisticated
- ultrarefined
- thoughtful
- gracious
- urbane
- considerate
- citified
3
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society offended by the coarse humor at the celebrity roast Synonyms & Similar Words
- vulgar
- obscene
- pornographic
- nasty
- dirty
- crude
- filthy
- gross
- foul
- blue
- suggestive
- unacceptable
- obnoxious
- ribald
- indecent
- bawdy
- profane
- unpleasant
- raunchy
- impure
- naughty
- lewd
- unprintable
- lascivious
- disgusting
- offensive
- smutty
- undesirable
- trashy
- gutter
- abusive
- unwanted
- broad
- soft
- wanton
- stag
- coarse-grained
- wicked
- porny
- salty
- infamous
- low
- indecorous
- earthy
- indelicate
- objectionable
- salacious
- unbecoming
- repulsive
- X-rated
- locker-room
- depraved
- off
- scatological
- risqué
- loathsome
- perverted
- kinky
- racy
- revolting
- off-colored
- gamy
- louche
- repugnant
- off-color
- immodest
- unwelcome
- barnyard
- abhorrent
- exceptionable
- distasteful
- repellent
- perverse
- censurable
- scurrilous
- atrocious
- reprehensible
- gamey
- debasing
- blamable
- repellant
- blameworthy
- soft-core
- hard-core
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- wholesome
- clean
- decent
- proper
- priggish
- puritanical
- prim
- genteel
- correct
- prudish
- polite
- respectable
- decorous
- staid
- acceptable
- nice
- appropriate
- innocuous
- straitlaced
- suitable
- desirable
- seemly
- pleasant
- agreeable
- nonobscene
- pure
- inoffensive
- straightlaced
- perfect
- welcome
- pleasing
- G-rated
- becoming
- meet
- fit
- immaculate
- Victorian
- spotless
- virginal
- approved
- sanctioned
- endorsed
- indorsed
4
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound a coarse laugh Synonyms & Similar Words
- hoarse
- gruff
- husky
- gravel
- gravelly
- grating
- rusty
- rasping
- scratchy
- raspy
- throaty
- abrasive
- rough
- grinding
- croaking
- choked
- growling
- croaky
- strained
- guttural
- scraping
- jarring
- raucous
- strangled
- scratching
- discordant
- strident
- cracked
- screeching
- dissonant
- squawking
- cacophonous
- inharmonious
- growly
- unmusical
- unmelodious
- cawing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gentle
- sweet
- liquid
- smooth
- soft
- golden
- mellow
- mellifluous
- soothing
- tender
- silken
- velvety
- satiny
- mellifluent
- musical
- melodic
- melodious
- gliding
- lyrical
- euphonious
- lyric
5
as in jagged
not having a level or smooth surface the coarse surface of the sandpaper Synonyms & Similar Words
- jagged
- uneven
- rough
- rugged
- ragged
- irregular
- wavy
- lumpy
- pebbly
- broken
- roughened
- bumpy
- scraggy
- harsh
- unbalanced
- inexact
- rutted
- undulating
- lopsided
- rutty
- undulatory
- scratchy
- sandpapery
- pitted
- knobby
- nubby
- nubbly
- nonuniform
- scraggly
- burred
- unaligned
- knurled
- pocked
- knobbly
- knurly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- smooth
- flat
- uniform
- regular
- level
- even
- true
- exact
- horizontal
- vertical
- plane
- aligned
- straight
- tabular
- alined
- flush
- plumb
6
as in poor
of low quality coarse imitations of quality merchandise Synonyms & Similar Words
- poor
- cheap
- terrible
- inferior
- rotten
- bad
- common
- worthless
- useless
- wretched
- rubbishy
- shoddy
- mediocre
- miserable
- trashy
- trumpery
- bum
- junky
- low-grade
- cheesy
- sleazy
- lousy
- crappy
- execrable
- cheapjack
- fake
- counterfeit
- gimcrack
- low-rent
- shlocky
- schlock
- valueless
- cut-rate
- second-rate
- indifferent
- schlocky
- showy
- tawdry
- gaudy
- bargain-basement
- shlock
- lackluster
- meretricious
- garish
- tacky
- shabby
- glitzy
- seedy
- flashy
- ostentatious
- swank
- kitschy
- el cheapo
- kitsch
- splashy
- sham
- swanky
- phony
- brummagem
- second-class
- phoney
- ultracheap
- supercheap
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fine
- excellent
- superior
- good
- elegant
- handsome
- tasteful
- high-grade
- refined
- first-class
- polished
- first-rate
- top-notch
- handcrafted
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of coarse are gross, obscene, ribald, and vulgar. While all these words mean "offensive to good taste or morals," coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.
found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive
The words gross and coarse can be used in similar contexts, but gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.
gross eating habits
While the synonyms obscene and coarse are close in meaning, obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.
obscene language not allowed on the air
The meanings of ribald and coarse largely overlap; however, ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.
entertained the campers with ribald folk songs
The words vulgar and coarse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.
a loud vulgar belch