1
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
some of the movie's most ribald, and thus funniest, scenes were cut for showing on broadcast television
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suggestive
hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent
a ribald tale rife with double entendres and racy innuendo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ribald
But, Brigman found, the men in Stieglitz’s scene often belittled the subject, ogling and making ribald jokes.
—
Sarah Blackwood, The New Yorker, 11 May 2020
But Beforeigners eschews the supernatural, and the campier teen soap elements, to deliver a thoughtful, moving, and often quite ribald and funny tale of various worlds colliding.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2020
Later, Society members on the city commission pulled funding from a chamber-of-commerce event, citing concerns about an allegedly ribald country-and-western band.
—Emma Green, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2019
The Los Angeles artist, known for her ribald depictions of middle-aged men and babies (and baby men) wreaking all manner of havoc (bodily and otherwise), is presenting a series of paintings and videos.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for ribald
Sarah Blackwood, The New Yorker, 11 May 2020
But Beforeigners eschews the supernatural, and the campier teen soap elements, to deliver a thoughtful, moving, and often quite ribald and funny tale of various worlds colliding.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2020
Later, Society members on the city commission pulled funding from a chamber-of-commerce event, citing concerns about an allegedly ribald country-and-western band.
—Emma Green, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2019
The Los Angeles artist, known for her ribald depictions of middle-aged men and babies (and baby men) wreaking all manner of havoc (bodily and otherwise), is presenting a series of paintings and videos.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for ribald
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribald
Adjective
-
Beside one of those blandly obscene bidets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
-
But the show avoided an FCC probe as the West Coast delay was censored, and the East Coast broadcast aired after the 6am-10pm window during which obscene content is prohibited on broadcast TV and radio.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This period also saw Husain exploring female forms, including images of Hindu goddesses like Durga and Lakshmi, sometimes in suggestive or erotic poses.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Even more suggestive of charter value, Rick Ware and Legacy Motor Club have battled in court over the sale of a charter for $45 million.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The president has been targeting Jeffries online with offensive and vulgar memes since the pair first had an unsuccessful sit-down meeting in the Oval Office just before the shutdown.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
-
One room cracked up at a vulgar joke about a woman’s behind, while another went for an outrageous and surreal midfilm montage — but each bit was made genuinely funnier by the dozens of people gasping and wheezing over it.—
Robert Rubsam,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Glancing around the standing-room-only party, filled with joyful hugs and happy chatter as guests drank spicy margaritas and nibbled on fries in paper cones printed with quotes from the book, a dazed Brown smiled.—
Hadley Meares,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Best said that raw purees of garlic, onion, and ginger are spicy and pungent.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
OpenAI included numerous guardrails with Sora, including moderation, restrictions on scammy, violent and pornographic material, watermarks and controls over how one's likeness is used.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Some states have instituted requirements for websites with adult or pornographic content to verify visitors' age before granting access, although tech experts have pointed out VPNs can be used to get around those guardrails.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Bernice Worden and Mary Hogan had very different personalities The series depicts Worden as flirtatious and bawdy, while Hogan (Rondi Reed) is shown as stern and cold.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Alfred Hitchcock, black and white films, and the rise of chocolate syrup Social taboos, censorship concerns, and technical constraints limited the use of blood in less bawdy theaters—and in most early films.—
Mark Hay,
Popular Science,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Davidson’s condition, which leads him to make foul-mouthed outbursts, was barely understood at the time and was the source of misunderstandings, bullying, and harassment.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Earning an Emmy and a SAG Ensemble Award for his early 2000s role in Fox’s Ally McBeal, MacNicol earned another Emmy nomination for his work as foul-mouthed New Hampshire political power player Jeff Kane on HBO’s Veep in 2019.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The human body holds several effective hiding spots that some of the world's nastiest viruses have discovered - like the eyes and the testes - that are beyond the reach of the immune system.—
NPR,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Another interesting point is that nasty anti-Trump name calling seemed toned down following the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribald. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share