Bawdy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈbȯ-dē/

Meaning & Definition of Bawdy

Bawdy (adjective)

  1. boisterously or humorously indecent
  2. obscene, lewd

Bawdy (noun)

  1. bawdry

Bawdy (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: blue, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, foul, gross, gutter, impure, indecent, lascivious, lewd, locker-room, nasty, obscene, pornographic, porny, profane, raunchy, ribald, smutty, stag, trashy, unprintable, vulgar, wanton, X-rated
    related: broad, coarse-grained, gamy, off, off-color, racy, risqué, salacious, salty, suggestive, barnyard, earthy, scatological, immodest, indecorous, indelicate, low, unbecoming, depraved, kinky, louche, naughty, perverse, perverted, wicked, exceptionable, objectionable, unacceptable, undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome, abhorrent, debasing, disgusting, loathsome, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, distasteful, obnoxious, unpleasant, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, atrocious, infamous, abusive, scurrilous, hard-core, soft, soft-core
    opposite: clean, decent, G-rated, nonobscene, wholesome
    near: priggish, prim, prudish, puritanical, staid, straitlaced, Victorian, correct, decorous, genteel, nice, polite, proper, respectable, seemly, innocuous, inoffensive, acceptable, agreeable, desirable, pleasant, pleasing, welcome, appropriate, becoming, fit, meet, suitable, immaculate, perfect, pure, spotless, virginal, approved, endorsed, sanctioned

  2. hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent

    "a bawdy limerick that mischievous storytellers love to recite"

    similar: blue, gamy, lewd, off, off-color, racy, ribald, risqué, salty, spicy, suggestive
    related: leering, barnyard, coarse, coarse-grained, crude, earthy, foul, gross, vulgar, dirty, filthy, gutter, indecent, lascivious, locker-room, nasty, obscene, pornographic, porny, prurient, raunchy, smutty, stag, unprintable, unpublishable, warm, X-rated, immodest, indecorous, indelicate, naughty
    near: clean, decent, G-rated, nonobscene, innocuous, inoffensive, priggish, prim, prudish, puritanical, staid, straitlaced, Victorian, correct, decorous, genteel, nice, polite, proper, respectable, seemly

Related Entry: Bawdy house (noun)

Bawdy house is a different word from Bawdy. The synonyms below are for bawdy house, not for bawdy.

  1. a building in which prostitutes are available

    "a frontier mining town that had few diversions other than the local bawdy house"

    similar: bagnio, bordello, brothel, cathouse, disorderly house, sporting house, stew
    related: call house, crib, massage parlor, harem, seraglio

Related Entry: Bawdy houses (noun)

Bawdy houses is a different word from Bawdy. The synonyms below are for bawdy houses, not for bawdy.

  1. a building in which prostitutes are available

    "a frontier mining town that had few diversions other than the local bawdy house"

    similar: bagnios, bordellos, brothels, cathouses, disorderly houses, sporting houses, stews
    related: call houses, cribs, massage parlors, harems, seraglios

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bawdy

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bawdy:

blue, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, foul, gross, gutter, impure, indecent, lascivious, lewd, locker-room, nasty, obscene, pornographic, porny, profane, raunchy, ribald, smutty, stag, trashy, unprintable, vulgar, wanton, X-rated, gamy, off, off-color, racy, risqué, salty, spicy, suggestive

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bawdy

Words with the opposite meaning of Bawdy:

clean, decent, G-rated, nonobscene, wholesome

Related Words for Bawdy

broad, coarse-grained, salacious, barnyard, earthy, scatological, immodest, indecorous, indelicate, low, unbecoming, depraved, kinky, louche, naughty, perverse, perverted, wicked, exceptionable, objectionable, unacceptable, undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome, abhorrent, debasing, disgusting, loathsome, offensive, repellent

Near Antonyms of Bawdy

priggish, prim, prudish, puritanical, staid, straitlaced, Victorian, correct, decorous, genteel, nice, polite, proper, respectable, seemly, innocuous, inoffensive, acceptable, agreeable, desirable, pleasant, pleasing, welcome, appropriate, becoming, fit, meet, suitable, immaculate, perfect

Word Forms of Bawdy

Inflections: bawdier, bawdiest

Derived words: bawdily (adverb), bawdiness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Bawdy

bawd + -y:1

First known use: circa 1513

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bawdy

Words & Phrases Containing Bawdy

bawdy house

Frequently Asked Questions about Bawdy

What does "Bawdy" mean?

"Bawdy" means boisterously or humorously indecent. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: boisterously or humorously indecent. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bawdy"?

Other words for "Bawdy" include blue, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, foul, gross and gutter. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bawdy" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bawdy"?

There are 86 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bawdy". Common alternatives include blue, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, foul, gross, gutter, impure and indecent.

What is the opposite of "Bawdy"?

Antonyms of "Bawdy" include clean, decent, G-rated, nonobscene and wholesome. Near antonyms include priggish, prim, prudish and puritanical.

How do you use "Bawdy" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bawdy" in a sentence: "a bawdy comment about someone you work with could get you fired"; "a bawdy limerick that mischievous storytellers love to recite".

Is "Bawdy" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bawdy" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Bawdy" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Bawdy" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Bawdy"?

"Bawdy" is pronounced /ˈbȯ-dē/.