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 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
  • Climate Pledge Arena prohibits abusive or obscene language and says violators may be ejected.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • The silly yellow fruit that became a part of their culture was freighted, from the start, with suggestive meaning.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The screenplay by Rasmus Birch and Kalle makes useful changes on that template, replacing crudely literal-minded aspects with more suggestive ones, paring dialogue to make room for effective visual storytelling.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026
Definition of suggestive
Adjective
  • But the school’s dress code prohibits messages that are lewd, indecent, vulgar or profane.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • The biggest crowd puller is the famous black cod miso but locals have unofficially crowned the Wagyu beef and foie gras dumplings with spicy ponzu Warsaw’s favorite.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • With base notes of leather, vanilla, and milky musk, the woody, spicy scent also has hints of bergamot, nutmeg, black tea, and palo santo.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of spicy
Adjective
  • The employees also sent pornographic magazines with David Steiner’s name to a neighbor’s home and planned to install a GPS device on the couple’s car.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • In 2014, Andrew Tate began his pornographic webcamming empire, recruiting women by dating and plying them with gifts.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 22 July 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
  • Under its guidance, untold hectares of nasty greenery have succumbed to billions of dollars in herbicide.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The schedule is nasty, too, with the Wolverines’ first five Power 4 opponents all capable of winning nine or more games this year.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • The foul weather sent trees toppling across the city, including on the Upper West Side in Manhattan and in Woodside, Queens, where a food truck was struck by a fallen tree, according to ABC.
    — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • She's been booed as a visiting player, elbowed in the face then called for a foul herself, all while some fans have been allowed to bring in signs expressing hatred towards her.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of foul

Phrases Containing bawdy

Browse Nearby Words

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 10 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bawdy for Spanish Speakers

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