ribald

[ rib-uhld; spelling pronunciation rahy-buhld ]
See synonyms for: ribaldribalds on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. vulgar or indecent in speech, language, etc.; coarsely mocking, abusive, or irreverent; scurrilous.

noun
  1. a ribald person.

Origin of ribald

1
1200–50; Middle English ribald, ribaud (noun) <Old French ribau(l)d, equivalent to rib(er) to be licentious (<Old High German rīben to copulate, be in heat, literally, rub) + -au(l)d, -alt<Frankish *-wald a suffix in personal names, derivative of *walden to rule; compare parallel development of -ard

Other words for ribald

Opposites for ribald

Other words from ribald

  • rib·ald·ly, adverb

Words Nearby ribald

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ribald in a sentence

  • At the center of the sanctuary stood Perrette the ribald, her hair disheveled like a Bacchante's.

  • And at the trail's end the unkempt, ribald crew swarmed their dark and dirty camp as a band of pirates a galleon.

    Blazed Trail Stories | Stewart Edward White
  • Fromentin was singing,—a ribald marching song, an unprintable thing, salacious and vilifying the Boches.

    The Wasted Generation | Owen Johnson
  • He replied with a ribald tirade, and she warned that she would count ten-that if he remained a second longer she would fire.

British Dictionary definitions for ribald

ribald

/ (ˈrɪbəld) /


adjective
  1. coarse, obscene, or licentious, usually in a humorous or mocking way

noun
  1. a ribald person

Origin of ribald

1
C13: from Old French ribauld, from riber to live licentiously, of Germanic origin

Derived forms of ribald

  • ribaldly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012