vulgar

[vuhl-ger]

adjective

1. characterized by ignorance of or lack of good breeding or taste.

   vulgar ostentation.

   Synonyms: ribald, coarse, low, inelegant, unrefined

2. indecent; obscene; lewd.

   a vulgar work; a vulgar gesture.

3. crude; coarse; unrefined.

   a vulgar peasant.

   Synonyms: rude, boorish

4. of, relating to, or constituting the ordinary people in a society.

   the vulgar masses.

5. current; popular; common.

   a vulgar success; vulgar beliefs.

6. spoken by, or being in the language spoken by, the people generally; vernacular.

   vulgar tongue.

   Synonyms: colloquial

7. lacking in distinction, aesthetic value, or charm; banal; ordinary.

   a vulgar painting.

noun

1. Archaic.,  the common people.

2. Obsolete.,  the vernacular.

vulgar

/ ˈvʌlɡə /

adjective

1. marked by lack of taste, culture, delicacy, manners, etc

   vulgar behaviour

   vulgar language

2. (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

3. archaic

   1. of, relating to, or current among the great mass of common people, in contrast to the educated, cultured, or privileged; ordinary

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the vulgar

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.

Other Word Forms

• vulgarly adverb
• vulgarness noun
• unvulgar adjective
• unvulgarly adverb
• unvulgarness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulgar¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin vulgāris, from vulg(us) “common people, crowd” + -āris -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulgar¹

C14: from Latin vulgāris belonging to the multitude, from vulgus the common people

Synonym Study

See common.

Example Sentences

Fast forward to now, and many of these types of golf clubs have booked her for shows and actually pay for her to be vulgar.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I’ve never seen him to be vulgar. I’ve never seen him be disrespectful or rile people up against the law enforcement or ICE. No, he simply informs. The guy is a good man.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But you wouldn’t necessarily know it from some of the reaction to Politico’s reporting this week on a vulgar text chain involving members of the Young Republicans.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The show is vulgar, profane, provocative, taunting, violent and extreme, while at the same time being an exquisitely timed comedy with something like heart, a sentimentalism that isn’t completely ironic.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The images, including beach shots in swimwear, were digitally altered before being posted in albums with titles like "hot politicians" with other suggestive and sexist captions, prompting vulgar commentary beneath.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• boorish 
• coarse 
• crude 
• disgusting 
• filthy 
• impolite 
• indecent 
• nasty 
• naughty 
• obscene 
• off-color 
• profane 
• ribald 
• scatological 
• suggestive 
• tasteless 
• tawdry