ribald

[rib-uhld; spelling pronunciation rahy-buhld]

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adjective

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

noun

a ribald person.

Origin of ribald

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

Related formsrib·ald·ly, adverb

Synonyms for ribald

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ribald ON THESAURUS.COM

1. indecent, obscene, gross.

Antonyms for ribald

1. pure.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ribald

naughty, sly, rude, off-color, racy, coarse, bawdy, lewd, foul-mouthed, blue, gross, purple, fast, raw, rogue, base, rough, devilish, earthy, filthy

Examples from the Web for ribald

Contemporary Examples of ribald

He is the master of ribald repartee; he could be cutting without being catty.
'The Village Voice' Was Crazy to Fire Him: 5 Reasons Why Michael Musto Matters
Tricia Romano
May 17, 2013
At ABC, their ribald cop show, The Job, was jerked around the schedule before finally being canceled in 2002 after two seasons.
Denis Leary to the Rescue
Joel Keller
April 7, 2009

Historical Examples of ribald

A cry of surprise was raised, and drowned in a volley of ribald inquiry and chaff.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
But yesternight that ribald mocked him with his lack of scars.
The Sea-Hawk
Raphael Sabatini
All his life Alexander had been the victim of the most ribald calumnies.
The Life of Cesare Borgia
Raphael Sabatini
Logan raised his voice to repeat the words and to add a ribald comment.
Nan of Music Mountain
Frank H. Spearman
Mr. Harding showed that he had a large repertoire of ribald rhyme.
The Wrong Woman
Charles D. Stewart

British Dictionary definitions for ribald

ribald

adjective

coarse, obscene, or licentious, usually in a humorous or mocking way

noun

a ribald person

Derived Formsribaldly, adverb

Word Origin for ribald

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

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

Word Origin and History for ribald

adj.

c.1500, from ribald, ribaud (n.), mid-13c., "a rogue, ruffian, rascall, scoundrell, varlet, filthie fellow" [Cotgrave], from Old French ribaut, ribalt "rogue, scoundrel, lewd lover," also as an adjective, "wanton, depraved, dissolute, licentious," of uncertain origin, perhaps (with suffix -ald) from riber "be wanton, sleep around, dally amorously," from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German riban "be wanton," literally "to rub," possibly from the common euphemistic use of "rub" words to mean "have sex"), from Proto-Germanic *wribanan, from PIE root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus).