Grobian

[ˈɡʁoːbi̯aːn]

/[ˈɡʁoːbi̯aːn]/ noun

The verdict

“Grobian” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Mensch, der sich anderen gegenüber ungewohnt grob, rücksichtslos, ruppig verhält

Corpus desk

Index DE-grobian · Grobian · German

Grobian · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "G" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Grobian
PropertyValue
HeadwordGrobian
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈɡʁoːbi̯aːn]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Grobian“ im Deutschen

Grobianliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Grobian is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈɡʁoːbi̯aːn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Mensch, der sich anderen gegenüber ungewohnt grob, rücksichtslos, ruppig verhält".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for Grobian, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Grobian, spelled G-R-O-B-I-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mensch, der sich anderen gegenüber ungewohnt grob, rücksichtslos, ruppig verhält

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Grobian appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Es waren noch weitere Grobiane, Kumpane des ersteren, anwesend.“
  2. „Schon in der Hafenkneipe hatte er erkannt, daß ihm John auf der weiten Fahrt in die Arktis das einsame Dasein unter den Grobianen und den ausgemachten Strolchen seiner Besatzung als guter Kamerad erträglich machen konnte.“

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Grobian"?
"Grobian" is spelled G-R-O-B-I-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɡʁoːbi̯aːn].
What does "Grobian" mean?
As a noun, "Grobian" means: Mensch, der sich anderen gegenüber ungewohnt grob, rücksichtslos, ruppig verhält
How do you pronounce "Grobian"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Grobian" is [ˈɡʁoːbi̯aːn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Grobian" come from?
"Grobian" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list