Definition of gauchenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective gauche contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gauche are awkward, clumsy, inept, and maladroit. While all these words mean "not marked by ease (as of performance, movement, or social conduct)," gauche implies the effects of shyness, inexperience, or ill breeding.

felt gauche and unsophisticated at formal parties

When is it sensible to use awkward instead of gauche?

The words awkward and gauche can be used in similar contexts, but awkward is widely applicable and may suggest unhandiness, inconvenience, lack of muscular control, embarrassment, or lack of tact.

periods of awkward silence

Where would clumsy be a reasonable alternative to gauche?

The synonyms clumsy and gauche are sometimes interchangeable, but clumsy implies stiffness and heaviness and so may connote inflexibility, unwieldiness, or lack of ordinary skill.

a clumsy mechanic

When would inept be a good substitute for gauche?

While in some cases nearly identical to gauche, inept often implies complete failure or inadequacy.

a hopelessly inept defense attorney

In what contexts can maladroit take the place of gauche?

The words maladroit and gauche are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, maladroit suggests a tendency to create awkward situations.

a maladroit politician

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gauche Big engagement rings are gauche! Fran Tirado, Them, 20 Dec. 2024 For a scene at the iconically gauche-glam nightclub and restaurant Tatiana — where the surf and turf will run you $99 — only five crew members went inside. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024 The reason is very simple—the Noto palazzo was very gauche and fit for the party later in the season, to be thrown by Hollander’s character. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Dec. 2022 That would be too gauche, too legislative for the court. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 19 May 2022 See All Example Sentences for gauche
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gauche
Adjective
  • After consulting with the Ravens’ team physician — and those of the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants — DeCosta became uncomfortable with the prognosis.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • No longer in the context of the coffee shop, the manager looked uncomfortable and out of place, his power diminished, an average guy in a bad suit, who had had to take time off from his job to come downtown to a federal office in an Art Deco building.
    Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Cavaliere made headlines earlier this year by banning Chappell Roan from ever performing at the concert after the singer had an awkward encounter with the stepdaughter of Brazilian soccer player Jorginho.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is one of Washington’s enduring, if somewhat awkward, rituals.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Perugino’s compositions tend to be clumsy in their parallels—two people on the left, two people on the right—and the skin typically looks like candle wax.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • The collapse of the talks wasn’t the fault of bad faith or clumsy diplomacy.
    Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Even after filling several roster holes in the NFL Draft, the Dolphins exited the weekend with a glaring need at safety and an uneasy situation on the edge, at wide receiver and at tight end.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Forced into an uneasy alliance with a sharp-witted poacher living on the margins of society (Kellyman), the two women fight back, turning their powerlessness into strength through violence, wit, and defiance.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Howard provides the cops with a box of Nancy’s belongings, which an embarrassed Mary admits to stealing, with it later being revealed that Mary and Howard used to role-play as Nancy and her husband Robert (Joel Kinnaman).
    Arushi Jacob, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gauche.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gauche. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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