bawdy

adjective

ˈbȯ-dē How to pronounce bawdy (audio)
Definition of bawdynext
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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bawdy The jokes about a modern couple trapped in a magical town stuck more than 200 years in the past hit the mark with just the right amount of bawdy fun. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 The potentially odorous oxfords and bawdy boots come on the heels of another viral foot sensation. — Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 Since then, Sarah Ruden’s excellent (and much bawdier) new translation has come out. — Literary Hub, 19 May 2026 True to the genre’s name, the blues could be bawdy, humorously describing the pleasures of the flesh, or sorrowful, conveying heart-wrenching despair. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bawdy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawdy
  1. obscene
  2. suggestive
  3. vulgar
  4. spicy
  5. pornographic
  6. ribald
  7. nasty
  8. foul
Adjective
  • Last year, after signing a $132 million contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers following a trade, he was docked another $26,000 for fighting and making an obscene gesture.
    — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • There was a dog’s leg that had been sewn on near a man’s crotch in a way that seemed like an obscene visual pun.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • At the time, fans were quick to point out that the majority of the crew members seen in the clip were men, while Sweeney was sitting in a suggestive pose.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Messages in 2024 between Johnson and Duffey revealed the two men used suggestive language.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of suggestive
Adjective
  • Decide for yourself whether that’s a bold indicator of English football’s superiority over the rest of the world, or a revolting symbol of the bloated and vulgar behemoth that the game has become.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • However, recent scholarship posits that the structure was used as ordinary (rather than punitive) housing, and that the vulgar decor was in fact a distinguishing characteristic of the epoch.
    — Jim Greer, SPIN, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • Atlanta chef David Rose’s sriracha-honey barbecue ribs combine smoked baby back ribs with a sticky, sweet-and-spicy glaze and his 2-2-1 method for cooking tender ribs at home.
    — Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Many players show up for these RPGs looking for hilarious, dramatic, and spicy romantic relationships.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of spicy
Adjective
  • Authorities say the girl was subsequently subjected to threats, emotional blackmail, surveillance and physical violence and forced to produce pornographic material and participate in online webcam sessions.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The sheriff’s office said Ahlers had hundreds, and possibly thousands, of pornographic photos and videos of children on his hard drive.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • Flagrantly practicing an especially ribald strain of cringe comedy that brushes several third rails, often simultaneously, the show could have been a disastrous gambit.
    — Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the ribald phrasing, this kind of question is not entirely uncommon at Memphis’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of ribald
Adjective
  • Those tempers were not helped by the nasty collision between Guehi and Veiga just before the break, as the Englishman clattered into the midfielder in attempt to head the ball away.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • His nasty spirit comes unstuck from the grave when Antonia, the brown-haired Millennial witch, works a wonky raise-the-dead spell directed at her late great aunt.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • No one, in my opinion, comes close to this selfish, foul-mouthed and stupid showman.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • There is no such statement in relation to foul tackles, but officials are expected to award a free kick if the first contact is outside the box, and a penalty if that contact is inside.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of foul

Phrases Containing bawdy

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bawds
bawdy
bawdy house
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Cite this Entry

“Bawdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawdy. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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