coarse means with a rough texture; not smooth. It carries an Arena rating of 1318, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, coarse ranks #2,659 of 17,052 for Most Vivid Words, #3,205 of 17,052 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #5,607 of 17,052 for Most Storied Words, #6,787 of 17,052 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
coarse is pronounced /kɔːs/.
Why “coarse” is a great word
Having a rough texture, composed of large particles, or lacking refinement and delicacy. Derived from the adjectival use of 'course' (as in the usual course), with spelling divergence in the 18th century; its sense developed from 'ordinary, common' to 'lacking refinement' and 'not fine, granular'. Unlike 'fine' (which denotes smoothness, small particles, or high precision) or 'vulgar' (which connotes offensiveness through crudity), 'coarse' emphasizes physical roughness or plainness of manner without inherent moral judgment. It is the gritty crush of unrefined salt, the rasp of burlap against skin, and the blunt truth spoken without art—the texture of a world that refuses smoothing and announces its utility without apology.
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.
adj
- With a rough texture; not smooth.
- Composed of large particles.e.g.“coarse sand”
- Lacking refinement, taste or delicacy.e.g.“coarse manners”
- Unrefined.
- Of inferior quality.e.g.“Due to the internet issue, the system generated an coarse audio file.”
Words closest in meaning
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