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View synonyms for vulgar

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 language

    vulgar behaviour

  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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage Note

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.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈvulgarly, adverb
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Other Words From

  • vulgar·ly adverb
  • vulgar·ness noun
  • un·vulgar adjective
  • un·vulgar·ly adverb
  • un·vulgar·ness noun
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of vulgar1

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

See common.
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Example Sentences

Perhaps the most vulgar thing that Trump did was to assert that divine intervention, in essence, God, prevented an assassination so that he could make America great again.

From Salon

It’s very difficult because I’m judged a lot for being vulgar or people say that I only talk about sex.

It’s impossible not to admire the complex, sophisticated work in this scene, which is so beautifully constructed that it defies whatever vulgar, less refined terms that may be used to define it going forward.

From Salon

But beginning with Ronald Reagan and his successful appeal to the vulgar, the ignorant and the vain, it quickly became apparent Nixon was not an anomaly among our leaders.

From Salon

The show was so bawdy — almost vulgar in a really fun way.

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vulg.vulgar fraction