ribaldry

noun

rib·​ald·​ry ˈri-bəl-drē How to pronounce ribaldry (audio)
 also  ˈrī-
plural ribaldries
1
: a ribald quality or element
2
a
: ribald language or humor
b
: an instance of ribald language or humor

Examples of ribaldry in a Sentence

there's a ribaldry in the works of Chaucer that generations of students of English literature have heartily enjoyed
Recent Examples on the Web Over-Nite Sensation is a triumph: a concentrated digest from perhaps the most popular stretch of his career, and a freeze-frame of his compositional flowering and ingenious lyrical ribaldry. Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2023 Finding liberty in punk artistry, Dury updated the tradition of British music-hall ribaldry and rude folk humor. Armond White, National Review, 3 Aug. 2022 These sections contain startling revelations about tribal culture, native ribaldry, and a social outcast’s mad nerve. Armond White, National Review, 18 Dec. 2020 The young woman disappeared in the ribaldry, everyone smelling of perfume and drowning one another out in their hysterical good time. David Rabe, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2020 The horses pick their fresh ways delicately through the dewy country, the brightness of sunrise has not yet fallen from the air, the sky is blue and all-covering, and the cowboys are full of jokes and morning ribaldries. Larry McMurtry, Harper's magazine, 28 Oct. 2019 What makes this a matter of more than mere ribaldry is that the baristas have unlimbered heavy constitutional artillery. George Will, National Review, 4 Oct. 2017 A trio of troublemaking nuns (Aubrey Plaza, Kate Micucci and Alison Brie) soon complicate matters, resulting in some hilarious, blasphemous ribaldry. OregonLive.com, 5 July 2017 Imagine Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company without the cross-dressing ribaldry. Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 15 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ribaldry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ribaldry was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ribaldry

Cite this Entry

“Ribaldry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ribaldry. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!