Are you trying to figure out the most effective way to say someone is rude in professional settings?
Perhaps you’re worried about hurting someone’s feelings when saying it!
But you don’t need to worry! This article is here to help.
We’ll teach you how to say “rude” professionally in different cases.
For instance, you can use any of the following synonyms:
- Your conduct is impolite
- You are exhibiting discourteous behavior
- Your actions are disrespectful
- Your behavior is offensive
- You are displaying poor conduct
- Your demeanor is inconsiderate
- Your communication is uncivil
- You are projecting discouraging behavior
- Your attitude is insolent
- Your manner is abrupt
- Please stop being ungracious
Keep reading to learn how to politely tell someone they are rude. We’ll explain more regarding all of the above synonyms to help you understand how they might work.
1. Your Conduct Is Impolite
You can start by using “your conduct is impolite.” This is a great choice if you’re wondering how to address an employee with a bad attitude.
Generally, you can use this when you’re not impressed by an employee’s attitude in the workplace.
It suggests they’re being rude or offensive, and you’d like them to change that quickly.
After all, rude behavior will get people into more trouble than good. It’s made especially problematic if the employee in question works closely with clients, and you’re worried you might offend them.
Feel free to refer to this email sample to learn more about it if you’re still confused:
Dear Thomas,
Your conduct is impolite, and I’d appreciate it if you could work on that.
Please do what you can to address this issue quickly.
All the best,
Rosie Burns
2. You Are Exhibiting Discourteous Behavior
Next, it’s worth using “you are exhibiting discourteous behavior.”
Generally, this is a formal way to tell someone they need to sharpen their ideas and be more respectful.
For the most part, this works when someone is rude to you at work.
It’s impersonal and shows that you don’t want to bring emotions into the equation.
So, you can use it when talking to a client if you’d like them to understand that they’re not helping the situation with a poor attitude.
Also, you can check out this example to learn a bit more:
Dear Ms. Kite,
I think you are exhibiting discourteous behavior at the moment.
I would like to work on that before we continue with the project discussion.
Best wishes,
Angel Radley
3. Your Actions Are Disrespectful
We also recommend using “your actions are disrespectful” to keep things direct and sincere.
This time, it might be worth saying something like this in person.
After all, it’s a good chance to sit someone down and let them know they need to try harder and be less offensive with what they say.
So, you can use it when meeting with an employee.
You can review these examples to learn a bit more about it if you’re still unsure:
Your actions are disrespectful. I’d certainly appreciate it if you could try to clean them up a bit.
It’s clear your actions are disrespectful. However, I know this isn’t what you’re always like, so I’d like that to change.
4. Your Behavior Is Offensive
Feel free to write “your behavior is offensive” when figuring out how to handle rude coworkers.
This could be a good choice if you’re speaking directly to your coworker. It works well in person, as it suggests that they should work on their behavior to avoid upsetting others.
Generally, this is a good way to be honest and sincere.
So, a coworker will often realize what they’re doing and try better to make themselves sound or act less rudely.
Also, it’s worth reviewing these examples to learn more:
Your behavior is offensive and is hurting our team. We need to work together on this before we can advance.
I think your behavior is offensive. Maybe you should talk to the other people and apologize for your actions.
5. You Are Displaying Poor Conduct
If you’re wondering how to professionally tell someone they are rude in an email, use this phrase.
“You are displaying poor conduct” works well when emailing an employee.
It shows them you’re unhappy about how they’re acting and would like them to clean up their act.
For the most part, this is effective and direct. Most employees will realize their mistakes and try to do better moving forward.
It’s also good to review this email sample to learn a bit more:
Dear Allison,
You are displaying poor conduct, and I’d like that to change.
Moving forward, please work on the way you communicate with your peers.
Best,
Channing Maxwell
6. Your Demeanor Is Inconsiderate
Try using “your demeanor is inconsiderate” to address disrespect at work.
This demonstrates what to say to a rude person at work when you want to be direct and open.
It doesn’t beat around the bush or sugarcoat your language choices. Instead, it simply shows that you’re unhappy with someone’s attitude and want them to correct it.
If you’re still confused, you might want to review this email sample:
Dear Ms. Smith,
Your demeanor is inconsiderate and hinders our collaborative efforts.
Would you like to meet in person to discuss this further?
All the best,
Zoe Chandler
7. Your Communication Is Uncivil
It may also be worth using “your communication is uncivil.” This is generally a great way to let someone know they’re being quite rude.
You can use it when writing to a coworker. If you’re on the same team project, this is a chance for you to highlight someone’s rudeness and hope they correct it.
It’s formal and sincere. So, it goes a long way when included in most business emails.
You can also review this example to learn more:
Dear Russell,
Your communication is uncivil right now.
I’m afraid we won’t get much further as a team unless you clean up your attitude.
All the best,
Sarah Catford
8. You Are Projecting Discouraging Behavior
You can also write “you are projecting discouraging behavior” when someone is being rude.
For the most part, this works well when talking to an employee.
It suggests that they’re being offensive or rude and need to correct a few things about their behavior.
Generally, this is an excellent way to get through to someone.
Here’s a helpful email sample to show you more about how it works:
Dear Barry,
You are projecting discouraging behavior right now.
I’m going to need you to work on this before we meet with the clients.
Best wishes,
Sarah Chants
9. Your Attitude Is Insolent
Also, you can tell a student they are rude by saying “your attitude is insolent.”
This is a great way to be direct and sincere. It shows that you’re far from impressed with someone’s behavior, and you’d appreciate it if they could work on improving it.
For the most part, a student will take you seriously if you say something like this.
After all, they should have enough respect for you to work on their attitude and try to improve themselves.
Therefore, you can’t go wrong with using something like this when you’re hoping a student will start to take themselves more seriously.
Also, you can review this email example to learn more:
Dear Maria,
Your attitude is insolent, and I’m tired of it.
Please work on it before you come back to me with your assignment.
Best,
Freddy Flint
10. Your Manner Is Abrupt
It might be worth using “your manner is abrupt” to mix things up, too.
Using “abrupt” here shows that someone is making short and rude remarks. This suggests that they should work on their communication skills.
It’s an ideal way to communicate your issues with a colleague. Generally, you can use this when you’re unhappy with them and need them to correct some things.
You may also review the following email sample to learn a bit more:
Dear Brent,
Your manner is abrupt, and I think people are starting to notice.
Please be more careful with the things you say around here.
All the best,
Tony Stark
11. Please Stop Being Ungracious
To finish things off, you can write “please stop being ungracious.”
For the most part, this is a direct and honest way to open up and show someone that you’re unhappy with their attitude.
It suggests that they’re being very rude, and they need to correct that.
For instance, you can use this when meeting with your team. It might be good to use something like this in person to try to get the point across easier.
Once you call someone out with this, it should go through! Otherwise, you might have to rely on slightly harsher means.
Finally, you can review these examples to learn a bit more about it:
Please stop being ungracious, Joe. I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work well here.
Please stop being ungracious. There’s no need for you to take such a tone with us when we’re trying to help.