bawdy

[ baw-dee ]

adjective

, bawd·i·er, bawd·i·est.

1. indecent; lewd; obscene:

   another of his bawdy stories.

   Synonyms: raunchy, licentious, coarse, ribald, risqué, earthy, prurient, salacious, lascivious

noun

1. coarse or indecent talk or writing; bawdry; bawdiness:

   a collection of Elizabethan bawdy.

bawdy

/ ˈbɔːdɪ /

adjective

1. (of language, plays, etc) containing references to sex, esp to be humorous

noun

1. obscenity or eroticism, esp in writing or drama

Derived Forms

• ˈbawdiness, noun
• ˈbawdily, adverb

Other Words From

• bawdi·ly adverb
• bawdi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bawdy¹

First recorded in 1505–15; bawd + -y ¹

Example Sentences

She returned to acting and producing with the 2022 film “Causeway” and released the the bawdy comedy “No Hard Feelings” last year.

From Los Angeles Times

At the end of the night, the mat has been wiped down of the bawdy affair.

From Los Angeles Times

In those songs, Roan draws on the power-pop sounds of Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, skewing them with campy cheerleader chants and bawdy sexual asides.

From BBC

Cue a medley of exquisite tomfoolery, featuring bawdy badinage, dubious love-poems, mistaken identity, visual gags, a chaotic play-within-a-play and lots of linguistic whimsy.

From New York Times

The film is based loosely on Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” and is full of bawdy zingers, grand gestures and sun-dappled scenery.

From New York Times

Related Words

• lewd
• obscene
• off-color
• ribald
• rude