Gauche / adjective / ˈgōsh

The word gauche describes someone that is awkward or clumsy. In English, the word can be either positive or negative, depending on the context.

When used positively, it can mean that the person is awkward and not very confident, which is often considered to be funny. If used negatively, it could mean that someone is rude and arrogant.

In a Sentence

I was gauche enough to spill coffee all over my shirt, which was really embarrassing!

The gauche couple upset concertgoers that had been standing in line for hours when they jumped the turnstile.

His gauche attitude made many of his friends and family shy away from him and his reckless behaviors.

Etymology

The word gauche is derived from the French word gaucher, meaning 'the left.' It entered English around the 1500s.

English speakers adopted the word from the French to represent the negative aspects of things on the left and left-handed people.

Synonym

Clumsy, Awkward

Antonym

Prudent, Dapper