Is gauche formal or informal?

It is slightly formal and suits academic or careful speech.

How do I use gauche in a sentence?

Use it for behavior, not people; e.g., ‘an gauche comment’, not ‘a gauche person’.

Is gauche a common word?

It is common in writing to describe social awkwardness.

← Dictionary

gauche

/ɡəʊʃ/

IELTSAcademic

adjective

Lacking social ease; awkward or clumsy in manner.

His awkward joke made the room feel tense.
She smiled to hide her gauche reaction.

Adinary Nuance

Near-neighbors: gauche is less thoughtful and more socially clumsy than awkward; stronger than awkward but softer than tactless or crass. Choose gauche for tone errors in manner, not skill.

In other languages

Spanish: torpe
Japanese: 不器用な
Korean: 서투른
Vietnamese: vụng về phía xã hội
Chinese: 笨拙的

Common phrases

feel gauchegauque in social settings

Synonyms

awkward clumsy tactless embarrassing crass

Related words

awkward tactless clumsy crass

Frequently asked questions

Is gauche formal or informal?: It is slightly formal and suits academic or careful speech.
How do I use gauche in a sentence?: Use it for behavior, not people; e.g., ‘an gauche comment’, not ‘a gauche person’.
Is gauche a common word?: It is common in writing to describe social awkwardness.