rabelaisian
Definition
Adjective: 1. Relating to the style or spirit of François Rabelais: Characterized by or reminiscent of the robust, earthy, exuberant, and often coarse humor, satire, and celebration of the physical and sensual found in the works of the 16th-century French writer François Rabelais. 2. Characterized by bawdy humor and extravagant caricature: Describing something that features or is marked by vulgar comedy, exaggerated satire, and a hearty, unrestrained approach to bodily functions and human appetites.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The novel's Rabelaisian humor, full of outrageous puns and descriptions of feasting, is not for the prudish.
- The comedian delivered a Rabelaisian monologue that had the audience howling with laughter at its audaciousness.
- His Rabelaisian wit and love for life made him a fascinating, if occasionally shocking, dinner guest.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used to describe a particular literary or comedic style that is both intellectually vigorous and physically grotesque. It implies a world view that finds profound humor and humanity in the baser aspects of life.
- It can be applied beyond literature to describe events, personalities, or language that share this quality of exuberant, bodily-focused excess and satire.
- The banquet was a Rabelaisian affair, with mountains of food and rivers of wine, accompanied by loud toasts and laughter.
Variants and Related Words
- Rabelais (Proper noun): The name of the French Renaissance writer, François Rabelais, to whom this adjective refers.
- Rabelaisianism (Noun, rare): The characteristic quality or style of being Rabelaisian.
Synonyms
- Bawdy: Humorously indecent or vulgar.
- Ribald: Coarsely or irreverently humorous.
- Earthly: Concerned with material, physical, or sensual matters as opposed to spiritual ones.
- Exuberant: Filled with lively energy and unrestrained enthusiasm.
- Grotesque: Comically or repulsively distorted.
Antonyms
- Prudish: Easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity.
- Austere: Severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance.
- Refined: Elegant and cultured in appearance, manner, or taste.
- Chaste: Not having any sexual nature; simple in style.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- While there are no direct idioms using "Rabelaisian," the concept is closely linked to the "carnivalesque"—a literary mode that subverts authority and hierarchy through humor and the celebration of the bodily lower stratum, a theory developed by Mikhail Bakhtin based on Rabelais' work.
Adjective
-
of or relating to or characteristic of Francois Rabelais or his works
-
Rabelaisian characters
-
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ có nhắc đến "rabelaisian"
