vulgarian

[ vuhl-gair-ee-uhn ]

noun

1. a vulgar person, especially one whose vulgarity is the more conspicuous because of wealth, prominence, or pretensions to good breeding.

vulgarian

/ vʌlˈɡɛərɪən /

noun

1. a vulgar person, esp one who is rich or has pretensions to good taste

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulgarian¹

First recorded in 1640–50; vulgar + -ian

Example Sentences

Trump has reportedly had a hang-up about his mitts since Greydon Carter's Spy magazine called him a "short-fingered vulgarian" three decades ago.

From Salon

As Heather "Digby" Parton wrote, Trump "couldn't control himself and behaved once again like the undisciplined, lying, vulgarian who half the country already hates."

From Salon

He has some friends — acquaintances, really — whom he hates, mentally labeling them “the riffraff, the vulgarians, the slobs.”

From New York Times

He teaches ancient civilizations and prides himself on being the sort of principled educator who flunks senators’ kids and says stuff like, “Such are the vicissitudes of life” and “Listen, you hormonal vulgarian!”

From New York Times

And a good thing too, since in Paul’s own estimation, Barton boys are, with rare exception, a hopeless bunch of “philistines,” “reprobates,” “troglodytes,” “degenerates,” “hormonal vulgarians,” “fetid layabouts” and “snarling Visigoths.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brute
• buffoon
• bumpkin
• slob