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underbred

underbred

1 9.3
Showing poor manners and not acting politely around others
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌndərˈbrɛd/
  • Offensive
translation icon : maleducado
  • His behavior at the dinner party was quite underbred.

Examples

  • Despite his wealth, his manners revealed a distinctly underbred character.

  • She was dismissed as underbred and unsophisticated by the elite social club.

  • His underbred behavior embarrassed everyone at the dinner table.

  • She seemed underbred when she interrupted the speaker.

  • His underbred behavior at the gala surprised everyone, as he lacked the proper manners expected in such a setting.

  • She felt out of place among her refined peers, knowing that her underbred upbringing had left her ill-prepared for high society.

  • The underbred actions of the guests, like speaking loudly and interrupting others, created an uncomfortable atmosphere during the dinner.

Synonyms

rude
vsunderbred
594 1.0

Not polite or showing little respect for others

is about being brought up without refinement rather than mere impoliteness
ill-bred
vsunderbred
  • Offensive
1 7.1

Rude and showing bad manners

focuses on being improperly raised rather than mere rudeness
lowbred
vsunderbred
  • Offensive
9.5

Showing bad manners and little respect for others

implies poor upbringing rather than only uncultured behaviour
bounderish
vsunderbred
  • Offensive
9.9

Having rude manners that shock polite people

stresses poor upbringing and lack of cultivation rather than single rude acts
yokelish
vsunderbred
  • Offensive
9.9

Not refined and a bit like a simple country person

refers to not being properly raised or cultivated rather than rural stereotype

Antonyms

4 5.8

Polite and taught to behave well by family or school

refined
  • Formal
4 4.1

Showing elegant, polite manners and good taste

How Refined

cultured
5 5.1
refined
  • Formal
4 4.1
polite
329 1.0
underbred
  • Offensive
1 9.3
uncouth
  • Offensive
10 8.4

Surface Forms

underbred positive

Morphology

underbred = bred (transparent) = under + breed + ed

A straightforward prefixation: 'under-' indicating insufficient + 'bred' (raised), yielding 'insufficiently brought up' or lacking refinement.

Etymology

Underbred comes from under- ('not enough' or 'below') and bred (from 'breed', 'to bring up'). So calling a person underbred is like saying they are not 'well-bred' and seem to lack good manners.