gauche

adjective \ ˈgōsh \

Definition of gauche

sometimes gaucher; sometimes gauchest

1 a : lacking social experience or grace; also : not tactful : crude

it would be gauche to mention the subject

b : crudely made or done

a gauche turn of phrase

2 : not planar

gauche conformation of molecules

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gauchely

adverb

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gaucheness

noun

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Examples of gauche in a Sentence

Among élite scientists, it was usually considered gauche to be obsessed with anything so tangible or immediate: brilliant discoveries were supposed to percolate. —Michael Specter, New Yorker, 3 Dec. 2007
… furnished it with, among other things, an embarrassingly gauche, oversized Roman Catholic basilica rumored to be larger even than St. Peter's in Vatican City … —Marc A. Schindler, Verbatim, Spring 1992
We were suburban housewives and mothers. As poets we took a respectful backseat to the male poets. We did not talk about our husbands and children in public; that would have been gauche indeed. —Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987
So lofty was her depreciatory manner that I felt myself gauche and was put on the defensive. —Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
Would it be gauche of me to ask her how old she is?
his loud talking at the opera marked him as gauche and uncultured

Recent Examples of gauche from the Web

Old money, historically, has been stereotyped as having a Brahmin disdain for such a gauche topic.

— paul sullivan, New York Times, "How the Wealthy Talk to Their Children About Money," 19 May 2017
As for those widely ridiculed Creamsicle orange Color Rush jerseys that owner Stephen Ross thought were gauche?

— adam h. beasley, miamiherald, "Logo change for Dolphins? HRS upgrades ready for U2? You’ve got Q’s; Garfinkel has A’s," 7 June 2017
Not since Jack Nicklaus ambled down the fairway in plaid Sansabelt trousers has golf wear looked this wonderfully gauche.

— steven kurutz, star-telegram.com, "Bill Murray’s got this going for him — a golf clothing line. Yep, it’s a Cinderella story," 27 Apr. 2017
Thrift was comforting; material goods uninteresting, bordering on gauche.

— gary shteyngart, The New Yorker, "Confessions of a Watch Geek," 20 Mar. 2017
Even so, apart from Mr. Ball’s gauche self-branding, there were few ripples Thursday night.

— jon caramanica, New York Times, "Bow Ties and Statement Sneakers at the N.B.A. Draft," 23 June 2017
Fixating on other people's business is never a cute look, Capricorn, and it’s especially gauche when you get caught doing it.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What This Week's Horoscope Means for You," 28 Aug. 2017
Today, mass production and an abundance of cheap knockoffs have rendered conspicuous consumption unremarkable at best and gauche at worst.

— j.c. pan, New Republic, "The New Yuppies," 1 Aug. 2017
This eerie display of the male gaze was gauche and left me feeling sticky.

— jill gutowitz, Glamour, "'Blade Runner 2049' Review: The Patriarchy Is Alive and Well in the Future," 6 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gauche.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

gauche and Being Left-handed

Gauche is one of several words that come from old suspicions or negative associations surrounding the left side and use of the left hand. In French, "gauche" literally means "left," and it has the extended meanings "awkward" and "clumsy." Presumably these meanings came about because left-handed people could appear awkward trying to manage in a right-handed world - or perhaps because right-handed people appear awkward when they try to use their left hand. In fact, "awkward" itself comes from the Middle English awke, meaning "turned the wrong way or "left-handed." On the other hand, "adroit" and "dexterity" have their roots in words meaning "right" or "on the right side."

Origin and Etymology of gauche

French, literally, left

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1751

See Words from the same year

gauche Synonyms

Synonyms

clumsy, awkward, graceless, inelegant, rough-hewn, rustic (also rustical), stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden

Antonyms

graceful, suave, urbane

Near Antonyms

assured, calm, collected, composed, confident, cool, placid, poised, secure, self-assured, self-confident, self-possessed, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed

Synonym Discussion of gauche

awkward, clumsy, maladroit, inept, gauche mean not marked by ease (as of performance, movement, or social conduct). awkward is widely applicable and may suggest unhandiness, inconvenience, lack of muscular control, embarrassment, or lack of tact.