bawdy

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbȯ-dē 

bawdier; bawdiest

1

: boisterously or humorously indecent

bawdy jokes

2

: obscene, lewd

a bawdy comedian

bawdily

ˈbȯ-də-lē 

adverb

bawdiness

ˈbȯ-dē-nəs 

noun

bawdy

2 of 2

noun

: bawdry sense 2

Synonyms of bawdy

Adjective

• obscene
• vulgar
• pornographic
• nasty
• foul
• dirty
• filthy
• suggestive
• ribald

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 Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s La Bola Negra (Netflix), Cruz plays a bawdy cabaret singer entertaining troops during the Spanish Civil War. — Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

Cruz surfaces in it as a bawdy cabaret singer, a role the size of a cameo that critics off the Croisette and now here at Telluride have already tagged a scene-stealer. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

With the candy-floss hair and knock-‘em-out curves, Dolly Parton has made a living off her bawdy, larger-than-life image. — Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026

What started as an idea for a variety show about her life in late 2017 became a bawdy, self-deprecating song-and-dance extravaganza following her arrest that Christmas Eve. — Luisa Opalesky, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

bawd + -y entry 1

Noun

probably from bawdy entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bawdy

• bawdy house

Rhymes for bawdy

• body
• gaudy
• khadi
• mahdi
• noddy
• oddi
• shoddy
• toddy
• waddy
• afterbody
• antibody
• busybody

Kids Definition

bawdy

adjective

ˈbȯd-ē

bawdier; bawdiest

: morally objectionable : obscene

bawdily

ˈbȯd-ᵊl-ē

adverb

bawdiness

ˈbȯd-ē-nəs

noun