To save this word, you'll need to log in.
\ ˈbȯ-dē 
\
\bawdier; bawdiest
Definition of bawdy
(Entry 1 of 2)
bawdy
nounDefinition of bawdy (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from bawdy
Adjective
bawdily \ ˈbȯ-də-lē \ adverb
\ adverbbawdiness \ ˈbȯ-dē-nəs \ noun
\ nounSynonyms & Antonyms for bawdy
Synonyms: Adjective
- 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,
- vulgar,
- wanton,
- X-rated
Antonyms: Adjective
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of bawdy in a Sentence
Adjective
a bawdy film that is not appropriate for children
a bawdy comment about someone you work with could get you fired
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective In his three previous trips to the fest as director, Jeff Baena has brought Sundancers offerings ranging from a heartfelt zombie love story (Life After Beth) to a winking take (The Little Hours) on bawdy 14th-century tales of nuns and priests.
—
John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Horse Girl': Film Review | Sundance 2020," 4 Feb. 2020 Legend, myth, history and war run deep — the sun goddess was said to have taken refuge in a cave for a time in Miyazaki, along the island’s east coast, until a bawdy dance lured her out.
—
Washington Post, "On Japan’s Kyushu Island, an untouristed gem," 31 Jan. 2020 Mia is the creative, bawdy one whose ideas are the lifeblood of the company’s sole standout product — a makeup kit for a one-night stand.
—
Garrett Mitchell, Detroit Free Press, "The laughs are recycled in lifeless ‘Like a Boss’," 9 Jan. 2020 Mia is the creative, bawdy one whose ideas are the lifeblood of the company's sole standout product — a makeup kit for a one-night stand.
—
Garrett Mitchell, azcentral, "Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne can't elevate 'Like a Boss' to the C-suite," 8 Jan. 2020 The show shines because Curchack questions everything, from how Shakespeare is currently presented to what The Tempest really means, demonstrating his impeccable conjuring skills while implicating the audience in his bawdy insights.
—
Manuel Mendoza, Dallas News, "Dallas theater legend Fred Curchack revives his world-traveling, award-winning take on ‘The Tempest’," 16 Jan. 2020 The host’s jabs, though often bawdy, were usually delivered with enough tongue in cheek to keep high-profile guests comfortable.
—
Marc Fisher, Washington Post, "Don Imus, talk-show host who turned bad behavior into big ratings, dies at 79," 27 Dec. 2019 What: Holly and Jolly Loush (aka The Loush Sisters) return from a gig in Mexico just in time to hit the Cleveland Public Theatre stage to perform their own 100-proof brand of bawdy, boozy, over-the-top cabaret.
—
Andrea Simakis, cleveland, "Cleveland Holiday Arts Guide 2019: Naughty and Nice Offerings on Cleveland’s Stages.," 27 Nov. 2019 Specifically, with an outrageously bawdy, hilarious song filled with lewd jibes at the coal boss.
—
Melissa Locker, Time, "John Oliver Picks a New Fight With Coal Boss He Called 'a Geriatric Dr. Evil' on Last Week Tonight," 11 Nov. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The film tries to replicate the formula that made Bridesmaids sing, pairing a heartfelt story exploring the complexities of female friendship with bawdy, over-the-top comedy.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Like a Boss is a female buddy comedy in need of a serious makeover: Review," 9 Jan. 2020 An army of chiding librarians seems to have arisen, tsk-tsk-ing the poor writer’s bawdy, outrageous imagination.
—
Rachel Pearson, The New Yorker, "“The House of God,” a Book as Sexist as It Was Influential, Gets a Sequel," 25 Dec. 2019 Spiked with campy drag, and Naughty-List-worthy lyrics, the bawdy, British music hall take on Ebenezer's ghostly story is straight-up bubbly fun, instantly kicking you into higher spirits.
—
oregonlive, "‘Scrooge in Rouge’ review: Triangle Productions dishes out Dickens classic with pure camp," 2 Dec. 2019 The video, directed by Andy Hines, is eye-catching, complete with cowboy hats, dyed furs, twerking backup dancers, and Lizzo showing off bawdy and her flute skills.
—
Paula Rogo, Essence, "Lizzo Wows In 'Tempo' Video With Missy Elliott! Watch It Here!," 29 July 2019 The platform, which shares features in common with Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope, has become a way to exchange glimpses — often bawdy and free spirited — of ordinary lives in China.
—
Raymond Zhong, New York Times, "China Isn’t Happy About Its Newest Internet Stars: Teenage Moms," 6 Apr. 2018 Lawrence will readily admit to making a mistake or two, although her stories have more of a bawdy, good-time flavor.
—
Laura Brown, Harper's BAZAAR, "Jennifer Lawrence: Truth and Beauty," 7 Apr. 2016 Arianda must switch back and forth from playing a bawdy, swearing wannabe actress to a 19th-century seductress, pull off a British accent and hold her own against Broadway charmer Hugh Dancy.
—
Kerry Pieri, Harper's BAZAAR, "Venus in Fur on Broadway: A Star is Born," 9 Nov. 2011
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bawdy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for bawdy
bawdy
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of bawdy
: dealing with sex in a way that is meant to be funny
See the full definition for bawdy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on bawdy
What made you want to look up bawdy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
More Confusing Words—Quiz
- The magician
______moved the selected card to the top of the deck.
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- More Confusing Words—Quiz
How many of these commonly confused words do you know?
Take the quiz - Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your high score.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share bawdy
Time Traveler for bawdy
The first known use of bawdy was circa 1513
See more words from the same year