as in vulgarity
the quality or state of being obscene
there's a ribaldry in the works of Chaucer that generations of students of English literature have heartily enjoyed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ribaldry
Over-Nite Sensation is a triumph: a concentrated digest from perhaps the most popular stretch of his career, and a freeze-frame of his compositional flowering and ingenious lyrical ribaldry.
—
Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2023
Finding liberty in punk artistry, Dury updated the tradition of British music-hall ribaldry and rude folk humor.
—Armond White, National Review, 3 Aug. 2022
The young woman disappeared in the ribaldry, everyone smelling of perfume and drowning one another out in their hysterical good time.
—David Rabe, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2020
The horses pick their fresh ways delicately through the dewy country, the brightness of sunrise has not yet fallen from the air, the sky is blue and all-covering, and the cowboys are full of jokes and morning ribaldries.
—Larry McMurtry, Harper's magazine, 28 Oct. 2019
A trio of troublemaking nuns (Aubrey Plaza, Kate Micucci and Alison Brie) soon complicate matters, resulting in some hilarious, blasphemous ribaldry.
—OregonLive.com, 5 July 2017
Imagine Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company without the cross-dressing ribaldry.
—Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 15 May 2017
Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2023
Finding liberty in punk artistry, Dury updated the tradition of British music-hall ribaldry and rude folk humor.
—Armond White, National Review, 3 Aug. 2022
The young woman disappeared in the ribaldry, everyone smelling of perfume and drowning one another out in their hysterical good time.
—David Rabe, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2020
The horses pick their fresh ways delicately through the dewy country, the brightness of sunrise has not yet fallen from the air, the sky is blue and all-covering, and the cowboys are full of jokes and morning ribaldries.
—Larry McMurtry, Harper's magazine, 28 Oct. 2019
A trio of troublemaking nuns (Aubrey Plaza, Kate Micucci and Alison Brie) soon complicate matters, resulting in some hilarious, blasphemous ribaldry.
—OregonLive.com, 5 July 2017
Imagine Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company without the cross-dressing ribaldry.
—Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 15 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribaldry
Noun
-
Songs marked explicit mean their lyrics include swear words or other vulgarities.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The presence of these planes flying close to our Caribbean Sea is a vulgarity, a provocation, a threat to the security of the nation.—
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, plenty of other things in your home surpass the toilet in terms of grossness.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Brain rot has become unavoidable, its grossness ubiquitous.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There’s some rudeness, aggressive conversations, and crudeness, but nothing too over the top.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Those exceptions include true threats, defamation, harassment and obscenities.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
On Florida college campuses, student attempts to speak out for Palestinian rights — including calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas — have been met with Islamophobia and obscenities in some instances, students say.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the heavy central theme of chronic illness, there’s a delicious bawdiness to Will There Ever Be Another You, a vulgar juvenilia evoking graffiti-tag genitals or the ding dong ditch scene from Billy Madison.—
Eric Olson
September 23,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There is plenty of coarseness in American arenas totally unrelated to MAGA or Trumpism, of course.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
-
An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Claud has two convictions for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age and one conviction for open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribaldry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribaldry. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share