gauche — lacking social grace; awkward or tactless in manner
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: lacking social grace; awkward or tactless in manner
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɡoʊʃ/
Example Sentences
- He felt gauche wearing sneakers to the wedding reception.
- Her gauche comment about the host's cooking made everyone cringe.
- Despite his brilliant mind, he remained gauche in social situations.
gauche
ADJECTIVE[/ɡoʊʃ/]
lacking social grace; awkward or tactless in manner
His gauche attempt at small talk made everyone at the dinner party wince.
At the posh restaurant, 'Oh gosh!' - his gauche moment shows!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From French 'gauche' meaning 'left' or 'awkward,' derived from Old French and ultimately from a Germanic root. The word came to mean socially awkward because left-handedness was historically associated with clumsiness or impropriety in European societies.
Breakdown
gauche (French for 'left/awkward') - no productive English morphemes; borrowed directly from French as a complete word meaning 'lacking social grace'
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“He felt gauche wearing sneakers to the wedding reception.”
“Her gauche comment about the host's cooking made everyone cringe.”
“Despite his brilliant mind, he remained gauche in social situations.”
“The teenager's gauche attempt to impress the girl only made things worse.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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