vulgar
Americanadjective
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characterized by ignorance of or lack of good breeding or taste.
vulgar ostentation.
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indecent; obscene; lewd.
a vulgar work; a vulgar gesture.
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crude; coarse; unrefined.
a vulgar peasant.
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of, relating to, or constituting the ordinary people in a society.
the vulgar masses.
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current; popular; common.
a vulgar success; vulgar beliefs.
-
spoken by, or being in the language spoken by, the people generally; vernacular.
vulgar tongue.
- Synonyms:
- colloquial
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lacking in distinction, aesthetic value, or charm; banal; ordinary.
a vulgar painting.
noun
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Archaic. the common people.
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Obsolete. the vernacular.
adjective
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marked by lack of taste, culture, delicacy, manners, etc
vulgar behaviour
vulgar language
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(often capital; usually prenominal) denoting a form of a language, esp of Latin, current among common people, esp at a period when the formal language is archaic and not in general spoken use
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archaic
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of, relating to, or current among the great mass of common people, in contrast to the educated, cultured, or privileged; ordinary
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( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the vulgar
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Usage
Terms that are labeled Vulgar in this dictionary are considered inappropriate in many circumstances because of their association with a taboo subject. Major taboo subjects in English-speaking countries are sex and excretion and the parts of the body associated with those functions.
Related Words
See common.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vulgar
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin vulgāris, from vulg(us) “common people, crowd” + -āris -ar 1
Explanation
Someone who's vulgar has bad taste, and could also be called unrefined or unsophisticated. Your snobby neighbor might mutter about your family's vulgar taste if you paint your house with hot pink stripes. From the Latin vulgus, meaning "the common people," vulgar is an adjective that can describe anything from the sexually explicit to the merely ugly and crass. A crude joke could be considered vulgar, as could a breach of etiquette at a dinner party. Your dad might love the lights and glamour of Times Square, while your mom finds all the brightly colored corporate logos to be vulgar.
Vocabulary lists containing vulgar
More Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Fences
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Where, even when dealing with vulgar matters, they stood up for what they believed to be the best of local values.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
When, instead, another Black Democrat from Chicago, Barack Obama, headed toward the Democratic nomination in 2008, Jackson’s frustration spilled into public with a vulgar criticism of Obama caught on microphone.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026
The vulgar kitsch of “The Housemaid” is its silly secret weapon, and it’s Seyfried who stays reloading the ammunition, making sure that this hefty dose of frivolity is as unforgettable as its conventionally prestigious contemporaries.
From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026
But now, online scammers were co-opting her iconic image for "vulgar and despicable attempts to exploit her legacy", the Brigitte Bardot Foundation said.
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026
The movie he suggested was vulgar, worldly, one I would never want to see, but I was being Shannon, so I said I’d love to.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
