Rude means behaving in a way that shows a lack of respect or consideration for others. When someone is rude, they might interrupt while you're talking, ignore you when you say hello, or make unkind comments about your appearance. A rude person might push past others in line without saying “excuse me” or talk loudly during a movie when everyone else is trying to watch.

Being rude is different from making an innocent mistake. If you accidentally bump into someone and quickly apologize, that's not rude. But if you bump into someone and just keep walking without acknowledging it, that's rude behavior. The key difference is whether you're thinking about how your actions affect others.

Sometimes people act rude without meaning to: they might be distracted, tired, or dealing with their own problems. Other times, people choose to be rude because they're angry or want to seem tough or important. Either way, rudeness makes social situations uncomfortable for everyone.

The word can also describe things that happen suddenly and unpleasantly, like a rude awakening when someone wakes you by turning on bright lights and making noise. This meaning connects to the idea of something jarring or unpleasant.