Vulgar — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈvəl-gər/ vul·gar

Meaning & Definition of Vulgar

Vulgar (adjective)

  1. lacking in cultivation, perception, or taste, coarse
  2. morally crude, undeveloped, or unregenerate, gross
  3. ostentatious or excessive in expenditure or display, pretentious

Vulgar (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank

    "paintings that appeal to vulgar tastes"

    similar: baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, inferior, low, low-life, lowborn, lower-class, lowly, lumpen, mean, plebeian, prole, proletarian, unwashed
    related: bourgeois, middle-class, plain, poor, simple, working-class, déclassé, down-market, downscale
    opposite: aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, high, highborn, highbred, lofty, noble, patrician, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn
    near: eminent, illustrious, notable, prominent

  2. depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society

    "a warning about the movie's vulgar language"

    similar: bawdy, blue, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, foul, gross, gutter, impure, indecent, lascivious, lewd, locker-room, nasty, obscene, pornographic, porny, profane, raunchy, ribald, smutty, stag, trashy, unprintable, wanton, X-rated
    related: broad, coarse-grained, gamy, off, off-color, racy, risqué, salacious, salty, suggestive, barnyard, earthy, scatological, immodest, indecorous, indelicate, low, unbecoming, depraved, kinky, louche, naughty, perverse, perverted, wicked, exceptionable, objectionable, unacceptable, undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome, abhorrent, debasing, disgusting, loathsome, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, distasteful, obnoxious, unpleasant, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, atrocious, infamous, abusive, scurrilous, hard-core, soft, soft-core
    opposite: clean, decent, G-rated, nonobscene, wholesome
    near: priggish, prim, prudish, puritanical, staid, straitlaced, Victorian, correct, decorous, genteel, nice, polite, proper, respectable, seemly, innocuous, inoffensive, acceptable, agreeable, desirable, pleasant, pleasing, welcome, appropriate, becoming, fit, meet, suitable, immaculate, perfect, pure, spotless, virginal, approved, endorsed, sanctioned

  3. held by or applicable to a majority of the people

    "the vulgar opinion is that the nation is in decline"

    similar: common, general, majority, overall, popular, prevailing, public, received, ruling
    related: unanimous, universal, pop, everyday, familiar, household, usual, well-known, contemporary, current, present, dominant, predominant, preponderant, characteristic, typical, pandemic, pervasive, prevalent, rife, widespread, communal, shared
    opposite: uncommon, unpopular
    near: rare, strange, unknown, unusual, distinctive, especial, idiosyncratic, peculiar, special, unique, individual, separate, singular, nonpublic, personal, private

  4. lacking in refinement or good taste

    "vulgar behavior shown by someone who's made a lot of money and wants everyone to know it"

    similar: coarse, common, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, illiberal (archaic), incult, insensible, low, lowbred, lowbrow, raffish, rough, rough-hewn, roughneck, rude, rugged, tasteless, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined
    related: boorish, churlish, cloddish, clownish, loutish, ungentlemanly, clumsy, lubberly, lumpish, oafish, inconsiderate, indelicate, insensitive, thoughtless, countrified, provincial, rustic, unsophisticated, graceless, inelegant, tacky, animallike, barbaric, barbarous, uncivilized, mannerless, unmannered, unmannerly
    opposite: civilized, cultivated, cultured, genteel, polished, refined, smooth, tasteful, ultrarefined, well-bred
    near: aristocratic, courtly, patrician, elegant, graceful, restrained, considerate, gracious, sensitive, thoughtful, citified, sophisticated, urbane

  5. 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"

    similar: colloquial, conversational, informal, nonformal, nonliterary, unbookish, unliterary, vernacular
    related: dialectal, dialectical, nonstandard, regional, incorrect, nongrammatical, substandard, uneducated, ungrammatical, unlearned, slang, slangy
    opposite: bookish, formal, learned, literary
    near: standard, undialectical, correct, educated, genteel, grammatical, proper

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Vulgar

The most common words with a similar meaning to Vulgar:

Archaic: illiberal
baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, inferior, low, low-life, lowborn, lower-class, lowly, lumpen, mean, plebeian, prole, proletarian, unwashed, bawdy, blue, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, foul, gross, gutter, impure, indecent, lascivious, lewd, locker-room, nasty, obscene, pornographic, porny, profane, raunchy, ribald, smutty, stag, trashy

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Vulgar

Words with the opposite meaning of Vulgar:

aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, high, highborn, highbred, lofty, noble, patrician, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn, clean, decent, G-rated, nonobscene, wholesome, uncommon, unpopular, civilized, cultivated, cultured, polished, refined, smooth, tasteful, ultrarefined

Related Words for Vulgar

bourgeois, middle-class, plain, poor, simple, working-class, déclassé, down-market, downscale, broad, coarse-grained, gamy, off, off-color, racy, risqué, salacious, salty, suggestive, barnyard, earthy, scatological, immodest, indecorous, indelicate, unbecoming, depraved, kinky, louche, naughty

Near Antonyms of Vulgar

eminent, illustrious, notable, prominent, priggish, prim, prudish, puritanical, staid, straitlaced, Victorian, correct, decorous, nice, polite, proper, respectable, seemly, innocuous, inoffensive, acceptable, agreeable, desirable, pleasant, pleasing, welcome, appropriate, becoming, fit, meet

Word Forms of Vulgar

Derived words: vulgarly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Vulgar

Middle English, from Latin vulgaris of the mob, vulgar, from volgus, vulgus mob, common people

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Vulgar

vulgar era, Vulgar Latin

Frequently Asked Questions about Vulgar

What does "Vulgar" mean?

"Vulgar" means lacking in cultivation, perception, or taste, coarse. As an adjective, it is defined as: lacking in cultivation, perception, or taste, coarse. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Vulgar"?

Other words for "Vulgar" include baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, inferior, low, low-life and lowborn. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Vulgar" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Vulgar"?

There are 202 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Vulgar". Common alternatives include baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, inferior, low, low-life, lowborn, lower-class and lowly.

What is the opposite of "Vulgar"?

Antonyms of "Vulgar" include aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, high and highborn. Near antonyms include eminent, illustrious, notable and prominent.

How do you use "Vulgar" in a sentence?

Examples of "Vulgar" in a sentence: "paintings that appeal to vulgar tastes"; "a warning about the movie's vulgar language"; "the vulgar opinion is that the nation is in decline".

Is "Vulgar" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Vulgar" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Vulgar"?

"Vulgar" is pronounced /ˈvəl-gər/ and divided into syllables as vul·gar.

What is the origin of the word "Vulgar"?

"Vulgar" comes from Middle English, from Latin vulgaris of the mob, vulgar, from volgus, vulgus mob, common people. First known use: 14th century.