DictionaryAI

coarse

adjective
KORS/kɔɹs/UKKAWS/kɔːs/

Formscoarser, coarsest

Often confused with course

5 meanings of coarse

Practice

  1. 1
    adjective
    Feeling rough when you touch it, not smooth.

    This towel is coarse, so it feels rough on my skin.

    The cheap shirts are made of coarser cotton than the expensive ones.

    Similarrough, scratchy, harsh

    Oppositesmooth, soft, fine

    Note
  2. 2
    adjective
    Made up of large grains or pieces, like some kinds of sand or flour.

    Rub coarse salt on the steak before you cook it.

    This bread is made with coarse flour, so it feels a little gritty.

    Oppositefine

    Note
  3. 3
    adjective
    Rough and rude, not polite or gentle in how someone acts or talks.

    Please don't use coarse language in front of the children.

    He has coarse manners and often talks with his mouth full.

    Similarcrude, vulgar, crass, rude, uncouth

    Oppositerefined, delicate, genteel

    Note
  4. 4
    adjective
    Of poor quality, not very good.

    The workers ate coarse food, mostly beans and stale bread.

    The shop sold coarse, cheap goods that broke after a week.

    Similarinferior, crude, rough

    Oppositefine

Less common meaning

  1. 5
    adjectivearchaic
    Of metal, not yet made pure.

    The coarse iron had to be heated again to make it pure.

    They traded bars of coarse copper for grain and cloth.

    Note

Practice

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Origin

It began as the word course, used as an adjective, and got its own spelling in the 1700s. Its meaning moved from "ordinary" to "not refined".