# churlish

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈtʃɜːlɪʃ/ · frequency rank #75,727

## Definitions
1. Of or pertaining to a serf, peasant, or rustic.
2. Rude, surly, ungracious.
3. Stingy or grudging.
4. Difficult to till, lacking pliancy; unmanageable.

## Etymology
From Middle English churlysshe, cherlissh, from late Old English ċeorlisċ, ċierlisċ (“of or pertaining to churls”), equivalent to churl + -ish.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/churlish