bawdy

1 of 2

adjective

bawdier; bawdiest
1
: boisterously or humorously indecent
bawdy jokes
2
: obscene, lewd
a bawdy comedian
bawdily adverb
bawdiness noun

bawdy

2 of 2

noun

Examples of bawdy in a Sentence

Adjective a bawdy film that is not appropriate for children a bawdy comment about someone you work with could get you fired
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
As with Harvey’s best songs, the poems were variously dirty, bloody, bawdy, and moving, depending on the theme. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2023 Danan's signature bawdy humor and heart explode off every page in this enemies-to-lovers tale that captures The Mummy vibes. Ew Staff, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2023 The opportunity to hear his proudly secular — and sometimes bawdy — music on the same stage as the Blind Boys’ rousing songs of devotion should not be missed. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2024 Big, bawdy, political, serious and very fun, the show opened to rapturous reviews. Luis G. Rendon, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024 Patton’s lyrics—which toggled between nonsensical and bawdy, delivered in a carnal bark—weren’t entirely his. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023 Helen Martin took on the role of feisty neighbor, Pearl Shay, and Jackée Harry played Sandra Clark, Mary’s bawdy neighbor and frenemy. Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023 The subscription site has often been laughed off as a tabloid punchline, a bawdy corner of the internet where young, underpaid women (teachers, nurses, cops) sell nude photos, get found out and lose their jobs. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023 Flashbacks disclose Silva and Jack’s young and crazy past through a bit of cinematic legerdemain: A drunken, dissolute barrier-busting orgy with whores and wine that reenacts a bawdy scene from Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. Armond White, National Review, 27 Oct. 2023
Noun
Lear and Yorkin brought Sanford and Son, based on another British series and starring bawdy Las Vegas stand-up Redd Foxx as a junkman, to NBC. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Dec. 2023 These queens are giving bawdy and face at the 2023 VMAs. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2023 Topping his previous bawdy extremes, Rodrigues dares a graphic duet in which Alfredo and Afonso recite racial fetishes that confess each man’s own self-image. Armond White, National Review, 31 May 2023 An adults-only holiday tradition, the show spins the beloved story ballet into a fantastical burlesque journey, complete with leather and lace, whips and tassels, and a big dose of bawdy humor. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Dec. 2022 While director and producer Ben DeLaCreme attempts a more traditional take, two-time Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is hellbent on crafting a bawdy, boozy, iconoclastic show. Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2022 The aftermath of that $8 spoof offers a potentially costly lesson for Musk, who has long treated Twitter as a playground for bawdy jokes and trolls but now must find a way to operate as a business following his $44 billion takeover. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2022 And while there are plenty of salacious and scandalous details that are unearthed in the book, Larkin doesn’t dwell in the bawdy. Seth Combscontributor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2022 But all the actors are adept at the musical’s combination of dry, dark wit and bawdy humor. Charles Isherwood, WSJ, 9 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bawdy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

bawd + -y entry 1

Noun

probably from bawdy entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bawdy was circa 1513

Dictionary Entries Near bawdy

Cite this Entry

“Bawdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bawdy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bawdy

adjective
ˈbȯd-ē
bawdier; bawdiest
: morally objectionable : obscene
bawdily
ˈbȯd-ᵊl-ē
adverb
bawdiness
ˈbȯd-ē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bawdy

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