1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ribald different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of ribald are coarse, gross, obscene, and vulgar. While all these words mean "offensive to good taste or morals," ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

Where would coarse be a reasonable alternative to ribald?

The synonyms coarse and ribald are sometimes interchangeable, but coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

When can gross be used instead of ribald?

The meanings of gross and ribald largely overlap; however, gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

gross eating habits

In what contexts can obscene take the place of ribald?

While in some cases nearly identical to ribald, obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

obscene language not allowed on the air

When might vulgar be a better fit than ribald?

The words vulgar and ribald are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

a loud vulgar belch

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 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 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 new series of paintings and videos. Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for ribald
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribald
Adjective
  • The obscene cost of healthcare has pushed manufacturers offshore and kept wages stagnant for decades.
    Ro Khanna, Twin Cities, 12 June 2025
  • In Tacoma, 35 miles to the south, Ted Bundy grew up near the American Smelting and Refining Co., which disgorged obscene levels of lead and arsenic into the air while netting millions for the Guggenheim dynasty before its 1986 closure.
    Hamilton Cain, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Commenters argued the suggestive nature of the song could direct bad actors toward LaR'iyah's videos.
    Rachel Hale, USA Today, 11 June 2025
  • The movie is quite true to its world - a world full of slapstick comedy, unfunny jokes, and vulgar and suggestive dialogues.
    Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • One of them, a graduate student named Hailey, who had the kind of vulgar beauty of fecundity, duly fell pregnant.
    Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
  • Dem rep's vulgar demand to ICE officers leads to calls to expel her from Congress MAJOR HEADLINES 'NEVER SEEN HER' – AOC, progressives ripped for ignoring 'Red Light district' as prostitution, filthy streets return.
    , FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Some Asian ingredients include spicy xo sauce, Japanese snow crab and A5 Miyazaki Gyu, a top-grade Japanese wagyu beef.
    Samantha Husted, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2025
  • Both of our children were a week past their due dates...so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn't work - there was only one thing left to do!
    Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Known for her bold, bawdy stand-up routines, Underwood earned respect as a trailblazer in both stand-up and television.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The vibe, never exactly cheerful, and never leavened by a hint of even the most sarcastic sense of humor, takes a turn for the horrific one evening in the wake of the bawdy revels celebrating Tomek’s wedding.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene slid into foul territory down the left-field line in pursuit of Chase Meidroth’s third-inning fly ball, then disappeared in a cloud of dust.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025
  • Then, Muncy went deep again, continuing his recent surge by belting another three-run homer high off the right-field foul pole, tying a career-high with seven RBIs on the day.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
Adjective
  • And some erratic vibrations were detected at points last week as the stark outperformance of year-to-date laggards over the top 2025 performers prompted some comparisons to the nasty momentum-stock reversal of February and March that upset the market well before the tariff panic.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 June 2025
  • But while Burns appeared to solve Oakmont for the day, some players who performed well on Thursday got eaten alive by the nasty course on Friday.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Washing Machine Cleaner Your clothes aren’t the only things that get dirty in the laundry room.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 13 June 2025
  • The effort is big business with organized, managed, paid people doing the dirty work.
    Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ribald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribald. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ribald

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!