Rabelaisian

American  

[rab-uh-lay-zee-uhn, -zhuhn] / ˌræb əˈleɪ zi ən, -ʒən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or suggesting François Rabelais, whose work is characterized by broad, coarse humor and keen satire.

---

noun

1. a person who admires or studies the works of Rabelais.

Rabelaisian British  

/ ˌræbəˈleɪzɪən, -ʒən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling the work of Rabelais, esp by broad, often bawdy humour and sharp satire

---

noun

1. a student or admirer of Rabelais

Other Word Forms

• Rabelaisianism
  noun

---

Etymology

Origin of Rabelaisian

First recorded in 1855–60; Rabelais + -ian

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Rabelaisian

“Then,” he added, “there’s the wordplay, the dance of literary references, the Rabelaisian humor, all packed into what I like to think of as ‘fairy tales for adults.’

From New York Times ● Mar. 24, 2023

Experts believe the New Orleans carnival season, an international tourist destination that culminated in the Rabelaisian Mardi Gras on Feb. 25, may have served as a kind of petri dish to spread the virus.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 22, 2020

“The community of artists that formed here, that generation ... it was Rabelaisian, it was anarchic, almost. And Don was the master of this. His influence was enormous.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2019

As ever, the book is rambunctiously inclusive, practically Rabelaisian.

From The Guardian ● May 20, 2017

Hearing Joshua give Rabelaisian nonstop talks of three to five hours made it all too clear that he was an enfant terrible.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---