1
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
some of the movie's most ribald, and thus funniest, scenes were cut for showing on broadcast television
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suggestive
hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent
a ribald tale rife with double entendres and racy innuendo
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Recent Examples of ribald
But Beforeigners eschews the supernatural, and the campier teen soap elements, to deliver a thoughtful, moving, and often quite ribald and funny tale of various worlds colliding.
—
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2020
Later, Society members on the city commission pulled funding from a chamber-of-commerce event, citing concerns about an allegedly ribald country-and-western band.
—Emma Green, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2019
The Los Angeles artist, known for her ribald depictions of middle-aged men and babies (and baby men) wreaking all manner of havoc (bodily and otherwise), is presenting a series of paintings and videos.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019
The Los Angeles artist, known for her ribald depictions of middle-aged men and babies (and baby men) wreaking all manner of havoc (bodily and otherwise), is presenting a new series of paintings and videos.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for ribald
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2020
Later, Society members on the city commission pulled funding from a chamber-of-commerce event, citing concerns about an allegedly ribald country-and-western band.
—Emma Green, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2019
The Los Angeles artist, known for her ribald depictions of middle-aged men and babies (and baby men) wreaking all manner of havoc (bodily and otherwise), is presenting a series of paintings and videos.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019
The Los Angeles artist, known for her ribald depictions of middle-aged men and babies (and baby men) wreaking all manner of havoc (bodily and otherwise), is presenting a new series of paintings and videos.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for ribald
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribald
Adjective
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Venis’s obscene wealth justifies an unbridled narcissism that reflects our worst fears of tech moguls.—
Andrew Wallenstein,
Variety,
28 May 2025
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In December 2014, a jury convicted Magnotta of first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a human body, publishing obscene material and mailing obscene and indecent material.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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This bias weakened over time, as the theory came to have more distance from the Trump administration, and more suggestive bits of circumstantial evidence accrued.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2025
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Jimmy Kimmel flustered guest Pedro Pascal with a suggestive question about Reed Richards' stretchable body parts on Monday's episode of his late-night show.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In that sense, the vulgar Vader situation creates a touchy dilemma for Epic Games and Disney, which likely invested substantially in this high-profile collaboration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 May 2025
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Amid the attention, the new pontiff's eldest brother has drawn scrutiny for social media posts praising Trump and using inflammatory, vulgar rhetoric toward Democrats and transgender people.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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The whisky is robust and flavorful on the palate, showcasing baked apple, candied orange zest, fried or caramelized banana, herbal nots of tobacco and anise/licorice, nuts, dark chocolate, seasoned oak, hints of caramel, and spicy hints of cinnamon and clove.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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Another hit from the party came from Jar’s Suzanne Tract, who brought spicy shrimp dumplings and kimchi dumplings from Pao Jao Dumpling House started by Eunice Lee and Seong Cho in the food court of the Koreatown Plaza on Western Ave.—
Laurie Ochoa,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The vibe, never exactly cheerful, and never leavened by a hint of even the most sarcastic sense of humor, takes a turn for the horrific one evening in the wake of the bawdy revels celebrating Tomek’s wedding.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
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The film’s bawdy sense of humor plays off a non-professional star — himself a full-time teacher from a nearby school — that looks like he was drawn by Robert Crumb and acts the part just as well.—
Ben Croll,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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When the ball dinged off the right-field foul pole, a euphoric Crow-Armstrong tossed his bat toward the Cubs dugout and pounded his chest before rounding the bases to celebrate the grand slam and second home run of the game.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2025
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That didn’t leave enough time to evaluate if Rooker’s double bounced off the wall or the foul pole.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was brilliant (35 points), and the Thunder defense was nasty.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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But Laxe’s cadence of death is nasty and arbitrary and delightful.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Martin Kove as John Kreese Martin Kove played John Kreese, Johnny's karate mentor, who encourages his students to play dirty and harass Daniel.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
1 June 2025
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That lack of presence really doesn’t matter, though, since dirty dojos like Cobra Kai and Demolition don’t accept defeat too easily.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribald. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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