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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
Aiyuk appears to direct two common insults at the subject of the video — almost certainly the 49ers — by using the literal, nonprofane meanings of the terms rather than saying the vulgar words themselves.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
Wembanyama missed seven shots from the floor, going 11 of 18 and silencing the crowd that at one point directed a vulgar chant his way.—
Stephen Whyno,
Twin Cities,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Hints at the canonical Big Daddies of existential clown float through the air — Beckett would recognize this pair, and so would Jean Genet.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 June 2026
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In showcasing the comedy and entertainment skills of drag queens, rather than the lip-syncing talents most people might be familiar with, the movie in effect asks critics of drag what exactly is so scary about a bunch of glamorous clowns.—
David Mack,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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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
-
Leave the situation without worrying about seeming rude.—
Taylor Haught,
Miami Herald,
6 Dec. 2025
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While Afrofuturism shares in the Black utopian ideal, the Black utopic ultimately exceeds it because of its rude demand for the possibilities of the here and now.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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However, Zelenskyy said there was still no common understanding on the land issue and that Ukrainians should vote on any territorial concessions in a referendum.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
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Your body makes vitamin D from sunlight, but food is also an important source, since deficiency is common.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The coarser shades of red and orange, illuminated by the setting sun on the western portals, color the side of the basilica that depicts Christ’s Passion.—
Joseph Wilson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
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Just like hair, brow pigment can fade and get coarser.—
Vanessa Santos,
Glamour,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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The suspect, Gianni Destiny Robinson, 22, of Oakland, was charged Tuesday with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
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Lawless stars alongside Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette in this summer’s horror sensation Obsession from Curry Barker, which has broken out as the top grosser in the history of Focus Features with over $234M worldwide to date.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lowbrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lowbrow. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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