1
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
a bawdy comment about someone you work with could get you fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suggestive
hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent
a bawdy limerick that mischievous storytellers love to recite
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bawdy
And in a delightfully bawdy showcasing of shadow love, enhanced by the playful entreaties of Papp and Bagwell, the result is howl-worthy.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
Raitt has a mischievous, bawdy sense of humor.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
Nearly every inch of the bar’s narrow interior is plastered with glowing beer logo signs, neon strip lights and posters jeering with bawdy bar jokes and wisecracks.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Trump filed the $10 billion suit earlier this month after the Journal reported that Trump allegedly sent Epstein a bawdy letter in 2003 that was included in a book made for Epstein's 50th birthday, which Trump has denied.
—Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bawdy
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025
Raitt has a mischievous, bawdy sense of humor.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
Nearly every inch of the bar’s narrow interior is plastered with glowing beer logo signs, neon strip lights and posters jeering with bawdy bar jokes and wisecracks.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Trump filed the $10 billion suit earlier this month after the Journal reported that Trump allegedly sent Epstein a bawdy letter in 2003 that was included in a book made for Epstein's 50th birthday, which Trump has denied.
—Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bawdy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawdy
Adjective
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Clothing must not feature offensive language, obscene gestures/graphics, or nudity or clothing that does not sufficiently cover undergarments.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The store supplied her with bondage pants, kilts, and T-shirts printed with obscene illustrations.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The actress had previously teamed up with the company for a suggestive body wash commercial.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Like fall’s auburn leaves and bounty of crisp apples, checks, in all its iterations, kindle a cozy familiarity suggestive of the season.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The book is filled with vulgar pictures, with many faces blacked out, and messages both handwritten and typed from well-wishers for Epstein’s 50th birthday.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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The biopic is the vulgar but necessary tribute inherently populist cinema pays to more traditional, higher-brow art.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For a little bit of spicy kick, make the pimiento cheese with pepper Jack instead of Cheddar.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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The star, of course, is ginger root oil—its warm, spicy aroma is blended with cardamom, clove, and coriander, plus a hit of citrus oils (lime, orange, bergamot, grapefruit) and eucalyptus for an energizing, feel-good scent.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Being the mother of seven was useful, however, when the court debated in January whether there were workable alternatives to age verification requirements for pornographic websites.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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As of state legislation passed in 2024, creating or distributing non-consensual pornographic deepfakes is a misdemeanor offense in Indiana.—
Jen Guadarrama,
IndyStar,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Over the years, the notoriously ribald Stern has interviewed hundreds of actors, comedians, music artists, athletes, politicians and more on his show.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
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Much of the dialogue is hilariously ribald, especially in a locker room scene in which the two nude men share a tender familial embrace after comparing penises.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 June 2023
Adjective
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One said bump is a particularly nasty, literal wig-snatching fight between Vida and Chi-Chi.—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
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In a nutshell, people are easily irritated and inclined to get caught up in nasty power struggles because they’re entrenched in their own views.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Jessica Post, who lives near Auburn and was sitting near the right field foul pole with her sister, Deanna Ritter of Roseville, was happy the A’s had put the flags to half-staff.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Then second baseman Máximo Acosta chased down the ball in foul territory and threw wildly past third.—
Steve Gorten,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bawdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawdy. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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