VULGARISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does vulgarise mean? 

• VULGARISE (verb)
  The verb VULGARISE has 3 senses:

1. cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public; bring into general or common use

2. debase and make vulgar

3. act in a vulgar manner

  Familiarity information: VULGARISE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VULGARISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they vulgarise    ... he / she / it vulgarises   
Past simple: vulgarised   
Past participle: vulgarised   
-ing form: vulgarising   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public; bring into general or common use

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

generalise; generalize; popularise; popularize; vulgarise; vulgarize

Context example:

Relativity Theory was vulgarized by these authors

Hypernyms (to "vulgarise" is one way to...):

broadcast; circularise; circularize; circulate; diffuse; disperse; disseminate; distribute; pass around; propagate; spread (cause to become widely known)

Verb group:

popularise; popularize (make understandable to the general public)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

vulgarisation (the act of making something attractive to the general public)

vulgariser (someone who makes something attractive to the general public)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Debase and make vulgar

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

vulgarise; vulgarize

Context example:

The Press has vulgarized Love and Marriage

Hypernyms (to "vulgarise" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

vulgarisation (the act of rendering something coarse and unrefined)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Act in a vulgar manner

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

vulgarise; vulgarize

Context example:

The drunkard tends to vulgarize

Hypernyms (to "vulgarise" is one way to...):

act; behave; do (behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

Though, indeed, the vendor of a certain nostrum has vulgarised the truism to the very point of contempt. Isn't that true, doctor?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)