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
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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
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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
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For instance, the ruling recognized that the government’s need to protect national security might require it to prevent publication of the number and location of troops and that the primary requirements of decency might require censorship of obscene publications.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
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Bounds said this gives the mayor the power to intervene when a member of the public engages in obscene speech or in speech intended to incite others in the room.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Proofs are littered with suggestive ellipses.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
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Researchers also found highly suggestive evidence that eating more ultraprocessed foods raised the risk of obesity by 55%, sleep disorders by 41%, development of type 2 diabetes by 40% and the risk of depression by 20%.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
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One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The company makes pickles in flavors such as hot, half-sour and sweet and spicy.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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It’s finished in a spicy-sweet sauce that would make a rubber tire taste good.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Swift’s likeness has been used without permission in numerous AI fakes, including by Meta’s AI chatbots and in pornographic images that have circulated on the internet.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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This material included thousands of pornographic deepfakes that Kamnik had generated using AI tools.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As her Canadian indie rom-com rolled out in theaters, Levack’s big, bawdy, American-campus comedy Roommates dropped on Netflix.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
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True to the genre’s name, the blues could be bawdy, humorously describing the pleasures of the flesh, or sorrowful, conveying heart-wrenching despair.—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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After neighbors in October 2023 reported foul odors from the Penrose funeral home, officials arrested the couple in November 2023, in Oklahoma.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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An investigation into the funeral home began in October 2023 when neighbors reported a foul odor to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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During the Braves’ recent trip to Philadelphia, Kyle Farmer came down with a nasty illness possibly brought on by norovirus.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
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Mfume has not joined in the negative attack game, but Conway, like other failing candidates, has decided his only political pathway is simply to run a nasty and divisive campaign.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ribald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribald. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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