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

Relevance

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 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 In the movie’s fuzzy metaphysics, Shelley wills herself into the consciousness of a character named Ida (also played by Buckley), a young woman angling for survival in 1930s Chicago — a colorful, dangerous world of bawdy lotharios and lethal gangsters. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026 Later, the boy sits sharpening a stick in a tree, singing the first of two bawdy songs. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 Feb. 2026 In the bawdy comedic scene, Tommy wakes up au natural in his hotel bed after an amorous evening with his wife, Angela Norris (Ali Larter), to find a shocked housekeeper in the hotel room. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Jan. 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
  • These stories were reprinted in Scottish and English botanical texts, and Henrietta would have known about the obscene ideas connected with the mushroom.
    — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
  • Jackson then allegedly drove over into another lane and swerved at the victim, while using an obscene hand gesture.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • But the most expensive plastic surgery today is seamless, vaguely Gnostic, suggestive of complex secret knowledge.
    — Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 2026
  • Since the sandworm, several other buckets have gone viral, many for suggestive designs.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of suggestive
Adjective
  • Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
  • Suki, a vocal Black woman with an at times vulgar persona, whereas Althoff, a white woman, gained a reputation as an awkward, seemingly timid interviewer on her The Really Good Podcast.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • Avoid heating up the kitchen by having a barbecue outside instead and marinating your kebabs in a spicy marinade.
    — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 13 July 2026
  • The mango papaya salad wakes the table up quickly with spicy chili ginger cashew, watermelon radish, peanuts, and Thai basil.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
Definition of spicy
Adjective
  • Gibson asked for pornographic images of the minor, and sent photos of himself, according to court documents.
    — Kendrick Calfee June 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
  • While Washington drags its feet, kids across the nation are being exposed to vile, pornographic images and ads with no meaningful safeguards to prevent it.
    — Rachel del Guidice, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • 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
  • Beulah picks up the story from there, spilling the colorful and ribald saga of how her family — originally named Sullivan, from Ireland — migrated west and got caught in the middle of the Texas revolution.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 June 2026
Definition of ribald
Adjective
  • Lyndsy Fonseca, rapper Russ, Tom Cavanagh, Hunter King, Joseph Lee Anderson and Rob Riggle star in the indie film, which concerns a group of campers who run into a nasty, giant, prehistoric spider.
    — William Earl, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • At that point, a nasty nearly $7 million a day ticking fee takes effect that will find Paramount on the hook for hundreds of millions out to WBD shareholders each month until the matter gets regulatory approval.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 July 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • Donis said multiple people reached out with complaints of a foul smell emanating from the river.
    — Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
  • Once opened, check for foul odors, cloudiness, or spurting liquid when opening.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
Definition of foul

Phrases Containing bawdy

Browse Nearby Words

bawds
bawdy
bawdy house
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bawdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawdy. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bawdy

Nglish: Translation of bawdy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All