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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bawdy
An actually funny Joker movie outclassed Joaquin Phoenix’s miserable one, and the biggest theater story of the year was an audacious, bawdy farce from a crazed comic genius.
—
Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
That’s a throwback, too, to the bawdy times of season one, briefly glimpsed on the shabby screen in the vampires’ makeshift home theater at the end-end (as opposed to the parody end, or the end for the cameras) of the series.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
What if all the power plays and factional scheming of House of the Dragon had a bawdy, comedic edge to it?
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
White combined a wholesome image with a flare for bawdy jokes.
—Brendan Farrington, Chicago Tribune, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bawdy 
Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
That’s a throwback, too, to the bawdy times of season one, briefly glimpsed on the shabby screen in the vampires’ makeshift home theater at the end-end (as opposed to the parody end, or the end for the cameras) of the series.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
What if all the power plays and factional scheming of House of the Dragon had a bawdy, comedic edge to it?
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
White combined a wholesome image with a flare for bawdy jokes.
—Brendan Farrington, Chicago Tribune, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bawdy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawdy
Adjective
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The high school student complainants said in the lawsuit that their families’ First Amendment rights have been violated by the law, which has a much broader definition of obscene material than the one defined by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Feb. 2025
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There might be behavioral symptoms that make someone cancel a flight at the last minute because of their panic or decide to take a train for an obscene number of hours to avoid flying.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN,
2 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even the film’s basic exposition, showing Anna working in Klaus’s household and receiving her fateful instructions from Hansen, is richly suggestive of the turmoil vibrating beneath the orderly domestic surface.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2025
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And yet, just of late, the stock is exhibiting characteristics suggestive of a bottom.—
Carter Braxton Worth,
CNBC,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The footage shows Caldwell calling the nearby Packers fans vulgar and sexist names, while taunting the man accompanying her with explicit gestures.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
18 Jan. 2025
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Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, let out multiple outbursts during his first appearance in court since he was arrested over the weekend and accused of making a series of vulgar, threatening online statements at Clark, the Indiana Fever superstar.—
Samira Puskar,
NBC News,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Some perfumes smell pink and rosy, others are amber-hued and spicy, and some smell fresh and verdant—like a whiff of pale green.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
8 Feb. 2025
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Rye whiskey is the drier and spicier cousin of bourbon with an herbaceous edge, an edge which (as with the Sazerac, La Louisiane and others) is given a few dozen exclamation points with a dash of absinthe.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Much of the dialogue is hilariously ribald, especially in a locker room scene in which the two nude men share a tender familial embrace after comparing penises.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 June 2023
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The couple became a symbol of marital stability in the freewheeling rock world, even as Charlie drummed for a band that was the most famously ribald band in music history.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
19 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat had the splashiest individual stat line with 2.5 sacks, but a crew of nasty defensive tackles wrought devastation versus the run and the pass.—
Tim Graham,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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What follows is a twisted game of house where familiar familial relationships crumble and new ones take root like nasty black weeds.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And this particular mouthful may have been really foul.—
James Doubek,
NPR,
29 Jan. 2025
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Two-way player Drew Peterson later entered the mix after Porzingis picked up his fifth foul midway through the third quarter.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Surrounded by plenty of enemies, political and otherwise, the husband and wife have no choice but to get their hands dirty in order to save their son.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
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Evans recommends carving out some time to complete tasks like returning dirty dishes or mugs from elsewhere in the house to the sink.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bawdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawdy. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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