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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bawdy
That’s because the musical path D’Angelo was headed on was light-years away from bawdy lover-boy balladry.
—
Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Hell’s Half-acre, the bawdy section of town, was thriving, the Texas Brewery opened in 1891, and Byer’s Opera House had brought burlesque to Cowtown.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Nov. 2025
Australian playwright Tony McNamara has turned his side hustle as a screenwriter into a blessing for Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite), and viewers of The Great, his bawdy historical farce for Hulu, can attest to his love of layered, lacerating insults.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025
American Pie is both funnier and bawdier than Porky's, though that 1981 romp gets points for Kim Cattrall's outrageous orgasm scene.
—Michelle Kung, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bawdy
Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Hell’s Half-acre, the bawdy section of town, was thriving, the Texas Brewery opened in 1891, and Byer’s Opera House had brought burlesque to Cowtown.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Nov. 2025
Australian playwright Tony McNamara has turned his side hustle as a screenwriter into a blessing for Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite), and viewers of The Great, his bawdy historical farce for Hulu, can attest to his love of layered, lacerating insults.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025
American Pie is both funnier and bawdier than Porky's, though that 1981 romp gets points for Kim Cattrall's outrageous orgasm scene.
—Michelle Kung, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bawdy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawdy
Adjective
-
It was seized by the post office (as Rosset had expected) and duly declared obscene by the postmaster of the city of New York, a man named Robert Christenberry.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Who says a man can’t appreciate the gleaming, obscene form of an Aston Martin supercar or the growl of its overpriced engine?—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
And what made the clip even more jarring to the average eye is that Sweeney was in a suggestive pose at the time.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
-
Which seems a suggestive concept.—
Nick Newman,
IndieWire,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Apparently some fans were using some vulgar language toward Brunson in Game 1.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Doolan also received several emails calling her a vulgar word that typically refers to women.—
Maven Navarro
June 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The dinner menu spotlights the local bounty and skews Mediterranean with standouts such as the laffa (a chewier pita) with baba ganoush or a spicy carrot harissa dip and lamb sliders with mango jam and shallot pickle.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Draped over crisp salmon like in this rice bowl (mole instead of spicy mayo; radishes instead of cucs); this is a form of recipe development, sewing together patches into a colorful quilt.—
Emma Laperruque,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
There is plenty of pornographic decoration in contemporary popular culture, but very little of it is consequential.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Authorities alleged that their tactics included intimidating the women, placing them under constant surveillance and forcing them to perform pornographic acts that were then shared on social media.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s Harley Russell, ribald proprietor and performer at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Okla.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Some thought that Kubrick’s adaptation of Thackeray should have been more like Tony Richardson’s Best Picture–winning 1963 Henry Fielding adaptation Tom Jones — earthy, ribald, comic.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Flu season may be mostly behind us, but a nasty, highly contagious stomach bug is rising.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
Rhaenyra is suddenly dealing with internal criticism, possible rebellions, subjects spray-painting nasty stuff on the walls and self-doubt.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Cenac lacks efficiency and foul discipline at times — a weakness that was on display in the NCAA Tournament — but also has shown the potential to dominate the paint both as a defender and a scorer.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
-
Smith then lined the two-run homer just inside the foul pole in left field.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bawdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawdy. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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