churlish

Etymology

From Middle English churlysshe, cherlissh, from late Old English ċeorlisċ, ċierlisċ (“of or pertaining to churls”), equivalent to churl + -ish.

adj

1. Of or pertaining to a serf, peasant, or rustic.
   […] the eloquence and truth of his tribute stands in marked contrast to Kramer's churlish caricature of Kael as a happy pig wallowing in the dirt. 1996, Jeet Heer, Gravitas, Autumn 1996
2. Rude, surly, ungracious.
   Especially in the post-2008 recession, the need for charity was more pronounced than ever, and so it seemed churlish, even Scrooge-like, to question whether the Gateses really knew as much about solving the world’s problems as they claimed. 2021-05-25, Linsey McGoey, “Why Billionaires Like Bill Gates Can’t Fix the Problems They Helped Create”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
3. Stingy or grudging.
4. (of soil) Difficult to till, lacking pliancy; unmanageable.
   1730–1774, Oliver Goldsmith, Introductory to Switzerland Where the bleak Swiss their stormy mansion tread, And force a churlish soil for scanty bread.