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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
  • Banners unfurled at off-campus houses ranged from the profane to the obscene.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The Georgia Bulldog logo has showed up for years on hats, shirts and pennants, but the state Board of Regents has decided that the appearance of the familiar canine on toilet seats and obscene posters is going too far.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 16 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
  • Perhaps her daughter-in-law is not vulgar but, rather, simple and spontaneous?
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • For the beach season, top it with fresh peaches coated in sweet and spicy pepper jelly.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The context is also important here and probably speaks to potential filmmaker fears over their politically spicy project being jettisoned.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of spicy
Adjective
  • The resident is Eugene Horsch, 44, who previously lived there with his late father, pornographic filmmaker and photographer Raymond Horsch.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Parents of students at Sunset Park Elementary School are stunned following the arrest of a former teacher accused of inappropriately touching students and displaying pornographic images.
    — Anna McAllister, CBS News, 15 Sep. 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
  • And then on Sunday, next to Granada’s imposing Alhambra fortress, Kuss — providing there are no nasty surprises — will complete his third Grand Tour in a row.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In his nasty hands, every canvas was an indictment, a history painting with its gloves off.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • Both banged off the Tropicana Field catwalk in foul territory, nullifying the catch made on both of them.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Peter remembers chicken wings, the foul Lower Manhattan air, and buying an industrial respirator at a hardware store.
    — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 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 21 Sep. 2026.

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