ribald
English
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ribald
- /ˈɹɪb.əld/ UK
- /ˈɹaɪ.bɔld/ UK
- /ˈɹɪb.əld/ US
- /ˈɹaɪ.bɔld/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English ribald, from Old French ribaud, ribauld (“rogue, scoundrel”) ( > English ribaud), from Old French riber (“to be licentious”), from Frankish *rīban (“to copulate, be in heat”, literally “to rub”), from Proto-Germanic *wrībaną (“to turn, twist, writhe”), from Proto-Indo-European *werp-, *werb- (“to turn, twist”) + Old French -aud, from Frankish *-wald.
Related to Old High German rīban (“to rub”), German reiben (“to rub”), Dutch wrijven (“to rub”). Compare also Old High German hrība (“prostitute”). See also English wrap.
adjective ribalder · more ribald · ribaldest · most ribald · ribauld
- Coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing; referring to sexual matters in a rude or irreverent way. [L]et no zealous Christian trust the rogue,—the filthy ribald rascal is a liar.
noun ribalds · ribauld
- A person who is filthy or vulgar in nature. After, he made an harlot, a ribald, come to him alone for to touch his members and his body, to move to lechery.
Translations
Talk about this word "ribald." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ribald. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. ribald. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ribald "ribald." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ribald.Cite this
@misc{ribald_2026,
title = {ribald},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ribald},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
