vulgar

vulgar — adjective

1. describes something that shows poor taste in style, beauty, or manners — for exa

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes something that shows poor taste in style, beauty, or manners — for example, decorations that are too bright, too heavily decorated, or too showy in a way that seems like trying too hard to impress others.

例句

Roya thought the gold-plated furniture was vulgar and tasteless.

collocation: vulgar + tasteless

The hotel's decor was so vulgar that many guests complained about it.

同義詞
  • tasteless

    a weaker, more general term; lacks the suggestion of showiness or trying too hard

  • garish

    specifically about colours or decoration being too bright and harsh

  • crude

    suggests roughness or lack of refinement rather than showy tastelessness

  • showy

    describes something designed to attract attention, not always in a negative way

反義詞
  • elegant

    graceful and stylish, with good taste

  • tasteful

    showing good aesthetic judgment and restraint

  • refined

    cultured and sophisticated in manner or style

文法句型

vulgar + noun

be + vulgar

find + object + vulgar

用法筆記

Often used to criticise decoration, fashion, or displays of wealth. This sense is about style and taste, not about morality or decency.

常見錯誤

❌The food was vulgar.
✅The food was tasteless.
💡'vulgar' describes style and appearance, not flavour or quality of food.
❌He told a vulgar story about his neighbour.
✅He told a rude/gossipy story about his neighbour.
💡unless the story was sexually crude, 'vulgar' is too strong.

2. describes language, jokes, or behaviour that is rude in a sexual or crude way an

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes language, jokes, or behaviour that is rude in a sexual or crude way and likely to shock or offend people who hear or see it.

例句

The comedian was criticised for making vulgar jokes about the audience.

collocation: vulgar joke

Gabriel apologised after his vulgar language upset several people at the table.

collocation: vulgar language

同義詞
  • crude

    blunt or rough in manner, but not necessarily sexually offensive

  • obscene

    much stronger; describes sexual content that is shocking and may be illegal

  • coarse

    rough and unrefined in speech or manner, overlapping with vulgar but less strong

  • lewd

    explicitly sexual in a crude way, narrower than vulgar

反義詞
  • polite

    showing good manners and consideration for others

  • decent

    proper and morally acceptable, not offensive

  • refined

    cultured and showing good manners

文法句型

vulgar + noun

be + vulgar

find + object + vulgar

用法筆記

Stronger disapproval than sense 1. This sense is commonly used in warnings about language or content that may shock people, especially children. Often applied to words, jokes, gestures, and online content rather than directly to people.

常見錯誤

❌He made a vulgar noise at the dinner table.
✅He made a rude noise at the dinner table.
💡'vulgar' implies sexual or bodily crudeness, not just any impolite behaviour.
❌The movie was vulgar because it was too violent.
✅The movie was violent/disturbing.
💡'vulgar' relates to sexual crudeness, not violence.