Gauche means socially awkward or tactless in a way that makes others uncomfortable. When someone does something gauche, they've made a clumsy social mistake, like interrupting someone's serious story to brag about themselves, or showing up to a formal dinner in muddy sneakers and a T-shirt.

Today, gauche describes behavior that shows someone doesn't quite understand the social situation they're in.

A gauche comment might be asking someone's dad about his new job right after he was fired. A gauche action might be reaching across the table to grab food instead of asking for it to be passed. It's not that the person is mean or bad, they just missed the social cues that would have helped them act appropriately.

The opposite of gauche is sophisticated or polished. While everyone acts gauche sometimes, especially in unfamiliar situations, consistently gauche behavior suggests someone hasn't learned to read social situations yet.