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vulgar definition

vul·gar (vul′gər)

adjective

  1. of, characteristic of, belonging to, or common to the great mass of people in general; common; popular a vulgar superstition
  2. designating, of, or in the popular, or vernacular, speech
    1. characterized by a lack of culture, refinement, taste, restraint, sensitivity, etc.; coarse; crude; boorish
    2. indecent or obscene

Etymology: ME < L vularis < vulgus, volgus, the common people < IE base *wel-, to crowd, throng > Gr eilein, to press, swarm

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

vulgar Synonyms

vulgar

modif.

  1. Lacking in refinement or taste

    coarse, crude, crass, unrefined, uncouth, indelicate, boorish, uncultivated, gross, low, common, tasteless, inelegant, cheap, ostentatious, overdone, pretentious, gaudy, tacky*; see also rude 1, tasteless 3.

    Antonyms refined, elegant, genteel.

  2. Obscene

    indecent, obscene, lewd; see lewd 1.

  3. Common

    ordinary, familiar, popular, colloquial; see colloquial, common 1. See syn. study at coarse, common.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

vulgar Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • consider: It must remembered that at that time using granite for the facade was considered vulgar.

Adjective modifier

  • little: She had always been a little vulgar, a little crude.

Modifies a noun

  • materialism: Finally, there is " The American Way of Life " , or vulgar materialism; not a happy subject.

Modifying Another Word

  • rather: However there was a rather vulgar sketch with a female dancer cleaning a toilet.

Noun used with modifier

  • bit: Permalink | 3 comment(s ) Bowed out By Charlotte Higgins / Back-row blogger 11:46am Are curtain calls just a little bit vulgar?

Used with adjective complement

  • consider: Hydrangeas are often considered too vulgar by some people.
vulgar usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

vulgar quotes

Learned men†do many times fail to observe decency and discretion in their behaviour and carriage, so as the vulgar sort of capacities do make a judgment of them in greater matters by that which they find them wanting in smaller. 46

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

Father is rather vulgar, my dear. The word Papa, besides, gives a pretty form to the lips.Papa, potatoes, poultry, prunes, and prism, are all very good words for the lips: especially prunes and prism.

-Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

Moderate sorrow Fits vulgar love, and for a vulgar man: But I have lov'd with such transcendent passion, I soar'd, at first, quite out of reason's view, And now am lost above it.

-Dryden,John

vulgar quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"vulgar." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/vulgar>

APA Style

vulgar. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/vulgar

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