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
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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
-
It is hoped that political ad campaigns would aim to lessen the meanness and divisiveness and vulgarity that have damaged our democracy.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Former President Richard Nixon proved himself no slouch in the vulgarity department after reaching the White House in 1969.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If an exclamation point only signified gore and grossness, this gothic rock opera would more than qualify.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The characters’ propensity for ugly faces, silliness and a bit of grossness too, stems from the portrayals of girlhood and young womanhood that appeal to them.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
There’s some rudeness, aggressive conversations, and crudeness, but nothing too over the top.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But as the film quietly signals, a society’s obscenities are not aberrations, only parts of an ugly chapter in a long history.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Mason’s film, however, went deeper than its premise might suggest; alongside the story of Barry’s persecution on obscenity charges by Ronald Reagan’s FBI, the doc also offered a chilling reminder of the lethal effects of the 1980s AIDS crisis.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
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
-
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
-
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,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This is a distinct category from the Mile-High Clubbers, whose lewdness is much more inappropriate.—
Christopher Elliott,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Jan. 2026
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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 19 Mar. 2026.
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