coarseness

/ˈkɔrsnəs/

Other forms: coarsenesses

Coarseness is a quality of roughness or graininess. You can feel the sand's coarseness when you sit on a beach.

There are two kinds of coarseness, but they're both rough. When you talk about the coarseness of the soil in your garden or the corn meal you're making muffins with, you mean that the particles are large and granular. Another kind of coarseness involves speaking or acting in a gross or vulgar way — someone who swears a lot and makes dirty jokes is displaying coarseness. Both types of coarseness show a lack of refinement.

Definitions of coarseness

1. noun

   the quality of being composed of relatively large particles
   synonyms: graininess, granularity

   types:

   sandiness

   a texture resembling that of sand

   type of:

   raggedness, roughness

   a texture of a surface or edge that is not smooth but is irregular and uneven
2. noun

   looseness or roughness in texture (as of cloth)
   synonyms: nubbiness, tweediness

   type of:

   raggedness, roughness

   a texture of a surface or edge that is not smooth but is irregular and uneven
3. noun

   the quality of lacking taste and refinement
   synonyms: commonness, grossness, raunch, vulgarism, vulgarity

   type of:

   inelegance

   the quality of lacking refinement and good taste
4. noun

   language or humor that is down-to-earth
   synonyms: saltiness

   type of:

   expressive style, style

   a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period