vulgar

adjective

ˈvəl-gər How to pronounce vulgar (audio)
Definition of vulgarnext
1
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank paintings that appeal to vulgar tastes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society a warning about the movie's vulgar language

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in general
held by or applicable to a majority of the people the vulgar opinion is that the nation is in decline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste vulgar behavior shown by someone who's made a lot of money and wants everyone to know it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in colloquial
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing Latin was once the language of scholars, and English the vulgar language used by the common people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vulgar different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of vulgar are coarse, gross, obscene, and ribald. While all these words mean "offensive to good taste or morals," vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

a loud vulgar belch

When is it sensible to use coarse instead of vulgar?

While the synonyms coarse and vulgar are close in meaning, coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

When might gross be a better fit than vulgar?

The synonyms gross and vulgar are sometimes interchangeable, but gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

gross eating habits

In what contexts can obscene take the place of vulgar?

While in some cases nearly identical to vulgar, obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

obscene language not allowed on the air

Where would ribald be a reasonable alternative to vulgar?

In some situations, the words ribald and vulgar are roughly equivalent. However, ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vulgar Simmons’ big day will be remembered for his vulgar celebration after one sack. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026 Despite their pointy protrusions, the sculptures are not spiky enough to leave a mark; and despite their flirtations with touchy subject matter, none of the works—not even the 9/11 ones—are vulgar enough to get Wolfson in hot water. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026 But Trump’s obsession with these vulgar memorials to his own vanity is a reminder of the darkness around him, of his hostility to democracy, his loathing of honor, and his disordered mind. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026 Perhaps her daughter-in-law is not vulgar but, rather, simple and spontaneous? — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vulgar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vulgar
  1. low
  2. obscene
  3. general
  4. crass
  5. colloquial
  6. ignoble
  7. pornographic
  8. prevailing
Adjective
  • The wide availability of low-cost, powerful open models is one reason Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that open models in particular pose a risk of widespread and potentially devastating cyber attacks.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • America's ability to compete internationally, which has become a central argument for expanding AI infrastructure, ranks much lower.
    — Will Johnson, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of low
Adjective
  • Another bemoaned the amount of money spent on Marsh’s NIL deal, using similar obscene language.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The disingenuous campaign ads, the obscene amount of money that is spent to air them and the promises that are rarely fulfilled are enough to make one cynical.
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • Jason Reynolds, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager of Integrated Air and Missile Defense, described RIG-360 as critical to PAC-3 operations and in-flight performance.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Vance has faced general questions about his association with Carlson, a former Fox News host who faced backlash last year for interviewing antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast.
    — Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of general
Adjective
  • But the fashionable-at-the-time nakedness of the YBAs’ desire for money, most completely embodied by Hirst, quickly became crass.
    — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Murdoch is thick-skinned and accustomed to being underestimated by the condescending Brits, who see him as a crass interloper.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of crass
Adjective
  • That’s the colloquial name for the Salkin House, an 1,100-square-foot dwelling perched on a hillside lot, built for violist Jules Salkin in 1948 by John Lautner, the famed midcentury modern architect.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The theme uses a colloquial phrase almost like a mathematical function.
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of colloquial
Adjective
  • The prizes’ name is a reference to Ignatius (Ig) Nobel—a fictional character said to be a distant cousin of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel, for whom the Nobel Prizes are named—and is also a pun on the word ignoble.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Definition of ignoble
Adjective
  • On the day of the $50 million demand, a WeChat chat on one of her phones shows pornographic images arriving and being sent back with Victim-1’s face grafted on, the complaint says.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The filing follows a separate legal battle launched by Meloni in 2024 against a man accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her likeness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.
    — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of prevailing

Browse Nearby Words

voyeurs
vulgar
vulgarian
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vulgar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulgar. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vocation

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All