as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste
at office gatherings his lowbrow humor often embarrassed his coworkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in philistine
a person who is chiefly interested in material comfort and is hostile or indifferent to art and culture
the town's lowbrows think that the school's music program is a complete waste of taxpayers' money
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lowbrow
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026
His work embodies highbrow and lowbrow materials through a time in the 20th century when architecture was trending hard toward highbrow minimalism.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
That balance of high- and lowbrow is absent in The Abandons.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lowbrow
Adjective
One of the most interesting things about the movie is the way Demme alternates between the more obvious, lowbrow gangster humor and the quiet, incredibly powerful moments between Pfeiffer and Modine that sneak up on the viewer.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026
His work embodies highbrow and lowbrow materials through a time in the 20th century when architecture was trending hard toward highbrow minimalism.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
Executives at NBCUniversal frame Bravo as a brand that represents a particular type of lowbrow-highbrow reality TV, and that even if the channel vanished, the brand could live on.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
That balance of high- and lowbrow is absent in The Abandons.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lowbrow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lowbrow
Adjective
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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 service There’s nothing as crass as a check-in desk here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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In fact, the very term anti-Semitism was popularized by Wilhelm Marr, a German nationalist who sought to distinguish his anti-Jewish ideology from the crass bigotry of the common folk by dressing his hate up in pseudoscientific terms.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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There is a profound difference between rude political commentary and language that normalizes violence against other human beings.—
Naperville Sun,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
In other words, leaving early isn't inherently rude.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
In 1863, representatives of football clubs from the larger London area met to discuss the formation of a football association and a common set of rules.—
Thomas Adam,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
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Fires are common at Kenyan schools, with many set by students protesting harsh discipline and poor conditions, researchers have found.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The final Scary Movie trailer opens with a fittingly grotesque send-up of Terrifier, the ultra-bloody, low-budget clown slasher that's built a cult following.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
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What appears to be a Unitree G1 humanoid robot wearing a blue clown wig can be seen confidently executing a roundhouse kick — squarely in the stomach of a young child in the audience, causing the kid to double over in pain.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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The global public square has been getting coarser for years, and social media has played a big part in the deterioration.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
1 June 2026
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Add Fresh Mulch Mulch with a coarse or sharp texture—such as large wood chips—can irritate a snake's belly scales.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Grossman pleaded not guilty, but in February 2024, she was found guilty on two counts of murder, two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death, per The New York Times.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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Algal blooms can create dangerous conditions at beaches, and soil runoff can make the water just feel gross.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lowbrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lowbrow. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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