Word
impolite
Phoneticsim·po·lite, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌɪmpəˈɫaɪt/
UK/ɪmpəlˈaɪt/
Definition
adj. not showing good manners toward other people. You use it when someone speaks or acts in a rude way.
adj. showing a lack of courtesy or respect for accepted social behaviour. Often modified by degree words such as 'very' or 'slightly'.
Examples
“It is impolite to talk with your mouth full.”
“The teacher says it is impolite to interrupt classmates while they are speaking.”
“Though his blunt questions sounded impolite to some guests, his friends knew he meant no disrespect.”
Examples
simple
“It is impolite to talk with your mouth full.”
contextual
“The teacher says it is impolite to interrupt classmates while they are speaking.”
complex
“Though his blunt questions sounded impolite to some guests, his friends knew he meant no disrespect.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “impolite” in context.
Verb
01. be impolite
“Please don't be impolite to the waiter; just ask politely.”
verb + adj
02. consider impolite
“Many cultures consider burping at the table impolite.”
verb + adj
03. find impolite
“I find talking with your mouth full impolite.”
verb + adj
04. impolite to ask
“It's impolite to ask how much money someone earns.”
adj + to + verb
05. impolite to interrupt
“It's impolite to interrupt when someone is speaking.”
adj + to + verb
06. impolite to stare
“It's impolite to stare at people on the train.”
adj + to + verb
Adjective
07. extremely impolite
“It was extremely impolite of him to leave without saying thank you.”
adv + adj
Noun
08. impolite behaviour
“The teacher spoke to the boy about his impolite behaviour.”
adj + noun
09. impolite question
“Asking her age was an impolite question.”
adj + noun
10. impolite remark
“He made an impolite remark about her accent.”
adj + noun
11. impolite tone
“Please don't use such an impolite tone with me.”
adj + noun
12. don't mean to be impolite
“I don't mean to be impolite, but I have to leave now.”
Usage
The adjective is gradable and typically appears before a noun or after linking verbs such as 'be' or 'seem'.
Pitfall
unpolite
impolite
The negative of 'polite' uses 'im-', not 'un-'.
Real-World Examples
“Workplace emails that people consider rude, insulting or impolite create stress, detract from productivity and affect wellbeing – even outside the workplace.” “It’s very impolite to interrupt a German, especially in German,” Barrette said.” “Furthermore, almost all Australian participants in the survey stated they wouldn’t hesitate to call their boss by their first name, a practice viewed as very impolite by Chinese businesspeople.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin impolītus. Equivalent to im- + polite.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/impolite