ribald
/ˈɹɪb.əld/adjective, noun
ribald is spelled R-I-B-A-L-D: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 86,301st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, ribald means “Coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing; referring to sexual matters in a rude or irreverent way” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in ribald?
| Letters | 6: R-I-B-A-L-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 8 million words; the 86,301st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is ribald?
Ribald appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 86,301st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce ribald?
- UK /ˈɹɪb.əld/
- UK /ˈɹaɪ.bɔld/
- US /ˈɹɪb.əld/
Ribald has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-ribald.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with ribald?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as ribald (/ɪbəld/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: bridal.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of ribald
- ribalder comparative
- more ribald comparative
- ribaldest superlative
- most ribald superlative
- ribauld
- ribalds plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ribald mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing; referring to sexual matters in a rude or irreverent way.
noun
- 1
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ribald in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | grossier, vulgaire, grivois, paillard , balourd, lourdaud |
| German | frivol, zotig, anstößig |
| Portuguese | ribaldo |
| Spanish | obsceno, vulgar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does ribald come 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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).