Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

coarse

/kɔɹs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.41 in modern English

Syllables: coarse
IPA: /kɔɹs/

8

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

With a rough texture; not smooth.

adj

Composed of large particles.

adj

Lacking refinement, taste or delicacy.

adj

Archaic

adj

Of inferior quality.

adj

Not thin; thick.

Example Sentences

"Two hundred Sempſtreſſes were employed to make me Shirts, and Linen for Bed and Table, all of the ſtrongeft and coarſeſt kind they could get; which, however, they were forced to quilt together in ſeveral Folds, for the thickeſt was ſome degrees finer than Lawn."
"coarse sand"
"Graham flour is coarsely granulated wheat meal. No sieves or bolting cloths are employed in its manufacture, and many coarse, unpulverized particles are present in the product."
"Missing units may be attributed to either the lack of proper sized material in the source or the successive, downcurrent sedimentation of the coarser materials first and the finer materials last."
"coarse manners"
"coarse language"

Etymology

Adjectival use of course that diverged in spelling in the 18th century. The sense developed from '(following) the usual course' (cf. of course) to 'ordinary, common' to 'lacking refinement', with 'not fine, granular' arising from its application to cloth. Compare the development of mean.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /kɔɹs/
British English: /kɔːs/

Usage

Archaic

Inflected Forms

coarser (comparative) coarsest (superlative)

Derived Forms

coarsehanded coarsely coarsen coarseness coarsish coarsy uncoarse

Phrases

coarse fish coarse-grained coarse-graining coarse-handed

Synonyms

rough sharp hard rude uncouth blunt unpolished inelegant indelicate vulgar gritty obscene

Homonyms

course corse

Antonyms

fine

Rhymes With

course force source horse divorce enforce reinforce endorse morse remorse norse outsource

Questions

How do you pronounce coarse?: The recorded pronunciation is /kɔɹs/.
What does coarse mean?: With a rough texture; not smooth.
Where does coarse come from?: Adjectival use of course that diverged in spelling in the 18th century. The sense developed from '(following) the usual course' (cf. of course) to 'ordinary, common' to 'lacking refinement', with 'not fine, granular' arising from its application to cloth. Compare the development of mean.

How to pronounce coarse

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “coarse”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kɔɹs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “coarse” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.