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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bawdy
Lawrence Lamont’s bawdy buddy comedy One of Them Days—in which Keke Palmer and SZA play best friends who spend a crazy day trying to scrape together $1500 in rent money—opened in January and stayed in theaters for more than two months before shifting to Netflix in early April.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 May 2025
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson established themselves as something of a 21st century Abbott & Costello (or, at the very least, Cheech & Chong) with this bawdy 2005 smash directed and co-written by David Dobkin.
—Jason Bailey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
What follows is an alternately hilarious, bawdy, and sad attempt to solve the former problem before the latter befalls her.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
There are weird, humiliating games, bawdy speeches, bursts of boozy laughter, and a punitive spirit of newlywed hazing.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bawdy
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 May 2025
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson established themselves as something of a 21st century Abbott & Costello (or, at the very least, Cheech & Chong) with this bawdy 2005 smash directed and co-written by David Dobkin.
—Jason Bailey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
What follows is an alternately hilarious, bawdy, and sad attempt to solve the former problem before the latter befalls her.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
There are weird, humiliating games, bawdy speeches, bursts of boozy laughter, and a punitive spirit of newlywed hazing.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bawdy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawdy
Adjective
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Lawsuit alleges 'obscene' government overreach Longo's lawsuit, filed in Chemung County, New York, names the county, the city of Elmira and several DEC officers as defendants.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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The court acknowledged that protecting minors from material that would be considered obscene from their perspective was a compelling government interest.—
Noah Feldman,
Mercury News,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Donald Trump sued Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal reporters on Friday over an explosive report that the president wrote a 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that contained suggestive language.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
18 July 2025
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As the night came to a close, Jonathon was walking the Golden ladies to their bedrooms when April caught him off guard with a suggestive comment.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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Because at the time, Madonna was seen as this controversial and sort of vulgar character.—
Terry Gross,
NPR,
17 July 2025
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Users must also opt-in to see the vulgar version of Bad Rudi, rather than a more family-friendly version known simply as Rudi.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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But after its three-year hiatus, the food chain is re-releasing the sandwich, now with three versions to choose from—original, spicy and grilled.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
15 July 2025
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Ginger Beer: As ever, the spicier the ginger beer, the better.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
12 July 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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For example, wildfires can not only cause direct injury and damage to people and property but can also spew all sorts of nasty stuff into the air.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
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Morton signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Orioles this past offseason as a starting pitcher who had established himself with 17 years of MLB experience and a nasty curveball.—
Said Bravo,
CNN Money,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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The foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul penalty 2, resulting in an automatic ejection for Banks.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
21 July 2025
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The other is a red panda named Bad Rudi with a penchant for foul language.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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What to look for in a quality cat fountain Filtration system Stagnant or dirty water is dangerous to pets, especially cats with a delicate immune system.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
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The restaurant violated 17 standards, including bugs inside the restaurant and dirty kitchen equipment.—
Evan Moore
July 18,
Charlotte Observer,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bawdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawdy. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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