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
Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
In that era, The New Yorker occupied a weirdly contradictory place in the new American nexus of highbrow and lowbrow, tradition and counterculture.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Perna looks to respect their time with real analysis tucked between the same lowbrow gags that won their attention in the first place.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lowbrow
Adjective
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
In that era, The New Yorker occupied a weirdly contradictory place in the new American nexus of highbrow and lowbrow, tradition and counterculture.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
Noun
That balance of high- and lowbrow is absent in The Abandons.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Perna looks to respect their time with real analysis tucked between the same lowbrow gags that won their attention in the first place.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lowbrow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lowbrow
Adjective
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The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
-
One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Plastic trinkets and graffiti, television sets and bumper stickers, road signs and wigs—many might describe these items as disposable culture, signs of America’s crass habit of regarding anything as art.—
Hua Hsu,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Alas, Deborah’s crass attempt to extort her fans immediately goes sideways.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But no, the friend is not being rude.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In what neatly encapsulates the uncomfortable, rude, thin-skinned yet cruel, sarcastic and ultimately juvenile communication style of his online brood, the leader of the pack started with — what else — Lawrence’s looks.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The county bulletin states that rattlesnakes are common here, especially in rural or canyon areas.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The three-stage filtration system captures common airborne particles, while its 360-degree air intake efficiently pulls in and circulates air in rooms of up to 2,400 square feet.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s some Streisand, too, and a big dose of Andrea Martin, specifically Martin’s signature SCTV character Edith Prickley, that bawdy, gawdy ham with all the bravado of a Catskills clown.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Cutting up large or coarse ingredients like banana peels will speed up their decomposition.—
Jessica Damiano,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The case eventually made it to the Supreme Court, which ruled against Lyle after deciding the coarse demeanor was a necessary part of the work environment.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And while the performances and the writing are still spackled with amusing barbs and observations about some of the grossest people in American life, The Audacity is missing a crucial forward momentum.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
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The lawsuit accused the Port of Bremerton of gross negligence and breach of contract for its failure to ensure safety at the marina.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lowbrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lowbrow. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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