ribaldry

noun

ˈri-bəl-drē How to pronounce ribaldry (audio)
Definition of ribaldrynext
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

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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 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 Imagine Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company without the cross-dressing ribaldry. — Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 15 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribaldry
  1. vulgarity
  2. grossness
  3. suggestiveness
  4. crudeness
  5. obscenity
  6. bawdiness
  7. coarseness
  8. lewdness
Noun
  • The once-vaunted values of public life are now reduced to the lower standards of private life—venality, vulgarity, rudeness, incontinence, and ignorance.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • Benoit delights in language as much as her heroine, weaving Regency-era slang throughout and appending a chapter-by-chapter glossary of vulgarities.
    — Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 2026
Definition of vulgarity
Noun
  • But Paddy’s isn’t Sudz, and the Gang’s efforts to soft-pedal their antics to be more in line with those mainstream bars devolved into typical Sunny-style hostility and off-putting grossness.
    — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.
    — Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Definition of grossness
Noun
  • The bucket quickly went viral for its not-safe-for-work suggestiveness.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • The other funnymen of the time—Milton Berle with his lewd suggestiveness, Jackie Gleason with his baleful roar—did the same shtick over and over.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Definition of suggestiveness
Noun
  • There’s some rudeness, aggressive conversations, and crudeness, but nothing too over the top.
    — Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 4 Aug. 2025
Definition of crudeness
Noun
  • Since the middle of the twentieth century, societies around the globe have undergone a collective revolution in standards and attitudes towards obscenity and immorality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Basin then turned toward another beachgoer, shouted an obscenity and resumed arguing with members of the group.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscenity
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
Definition of bawdiness
Noun
  • But many seemingly urbane texts also benefited from the intellectual and moral coarseness of their times.
    — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of coarseness
Noun
  • The writing, by Estelle Hoy and Justine Gelfman, was sassy and sharp, and the narrative exuded a whimsical lewdness that cut against the production’s overall slapstick sensibility.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • He was charged with reckless endangerment, graffiti, public lewdness, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, the NYPD said, according to NBC News.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of lewdness

Browse Nearby Words

ribald
ribaldry
ribbed
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Cite this Entry

“Ribaldry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribaldry. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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