ribald
[rib-uh ld; spelling pronunciation rahy-buh ld]
- vulgar or indecent in speech, language, etc.; coarsely mocking, abusive, or irreverent; scurrilous.
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- a ribald person.
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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
Synonyms
See more synonyms for ribald on Thesaurus.com1. indecent, obscene, gross.
Antonyms
1. pure.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for ribald
Contemporary Examples
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 MattersTricia 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.
Historical Examples
A cry of surprise was raised, and drowned in a volley of ribald inquiry and chaff.
The Black BagLouis Joseph Vance
But yesternight that ribald mocked him with his lack of scars.
The Sea-HawkRaphael Sabatini
All his life Alexander had been the victim of the most ribald calumnies.
The Life of Cesare BorgiaRaphael Sabatini
Logan raised his voice to repeat the words and to add a ribald comment.
Nan of Music MountainFrank H. Spearman
Mr. Harding showed that he had a large repertoire of ribald rhyme.
The Wrong WomanCharles D. Stewart
ribald
- coarse, obscene, or licentious, usually in a humorous or mocking way
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- a ribald person
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Word Origin
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
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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).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper