impolite

impolite — adjective

1. doing or saying things that go against what society considers good manners, show

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

doing or saying things that go against what society considers good manners, showing that you do not care about how other people feel

Example

Ravi thought it was impolite to leave the dinner table before everyone had finished eating.

impolite + to-infinitive pattern

Theo's grandmother scolded him for making an impolite comment about her cooking.

collocation: impolite comment

Common collocations
  • impolite comment
  • impolite gesture
  • impolite behaviour
  • impolite remark
  • impolite to someone
  • impolite of someone to do something
  • considered impolite
  • seen as impolite
Synonyms
  • rude

    stronger and more direct than impolite; calling someone 'rude' is a personal criticism, not just about the action

  • disrespectful

    specifically implies a lack of respect for someone's age, position, or status

  • discourteous

    more formal than impolite; often used in professional or written contexts

  • ill-mannered

    suggests a lack of good upbringing or training in social behaviour

Antonyms
  • polite

    the direct opposite; showing good manners and care for others' feelings

  • courteous

    more formal than polite, often used in professional settings

  • respectful

    shows regard for someone's position, needs, or feelings

Grammar Patterns

it + be + impolite + to-infinitive

be + impolite + to + person

it + be + impolite + of + person + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Commonly used in the pattern 'It is impolite to…' to describe general social rules. 'Impolite' is softer and more formal than 'rude'; it focuses on a breach of social convention rather than a personal attack on someone's character.

Common Mistakes

He was impolite with the waiter.
He was impolite to the waiter.
Use 'to', not 'with', when referring to how someone treats another person.
It was impolite for him to arrive late.
It was impolite of him to arrive late.
Use 'of', not 'for', before the person performing the impolite action.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While impolite, rude, disrespectful, discourteous, and ill-mannered all describe behaviour that breaks social norms, they differ in strength and formality. Impolite is the most general and least harsh — it describes simple failures of etiquette, such as talking with food in your mouth. Rude is stronger and more personal; calling someone 'rude' is a direct criticism of their character, not just their action. Disrespectful specifically implies failing to show proper regard for someone's age, rank, or position — for example, talking back to a teacher. Discourteous is formal and typically appears in professional or written contexts ('We apologise for the discourteous treatment you received'). Ill-mannered suggests a lack of good upbringing or training in social behaviour. To illustrate: arriving five minutes late is impolite; ignoring someone who greets you is rude; mocking an elderly person is disrespectful; failing to send a thank-you note is discourteous; eating with your mouth open is ill-mannered.

rude ↗disrespectful ↗discourteousill-mannered

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • it is impolite to
  • considered impolite
  • seen as impolite

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'impolitus', meaning 'unpolished' or 'rough', formed from the prefix 'in-' meaning 'not' and 'politus' meaning 'polished, refined'. The word entered English in the 1600s through French 'impoli', keeping the idea of someone whose social behaviour has not been 'polished' by good training.