bawdy

[ baw-dee ]

adjective

bawdier, bawdiest.

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 Word Forms

• 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

Another reason is that, if you can translate Latin, some of the lyrics are quite bawdy and politically retrograde.

From Los Angeles Times

A Sunday People poll of 600 viewers showed 56% of respondents didn't like the first episode, with complaints over "coarse" and "bawdy" dialogue.

From BBC

When the deal was revealed late last year, Star called the novel a “ballsy and bawdy love child of ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Sex and the City.’

From Los Angeles Times

Her sensual cabaret, Le Razzle Dazzle, is a classic, bawdy show on the Las Vegas Strip, the kind that requires work and passion as much as it necessitates the cheeky flash of a nipple.

From Salon

The show was so bawdy — almost vulgar in a really fun way.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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