bawdy
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- bawdily adverb
- bawdiness noun
Etymology
Origin of bawdy
Explanation
Bawdy describes humor that is vulgar or off-color. Things that are bawdy are a little inappropriate, intended to be funny, and definitely not the kind of things you want to say in school. Bawdy jokes are inappropriate, but they're not totally explicit or graphic — a movie with a little bit of bawdy humor might be rated PG-13, rather than R. Still, you probably don't want to recite bawdy poems in front of your fussy Aunt Irma, your clergyperson, or your math teacher. The exact etymology of this word is uncertain, but it is formed from the Middle English noun bawd, meaning "a lewd or licentious person."
Vocabulary lists containing bawdy
Top 50 Wordle Words of 2024
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Hatred," Vocabulary from the poem
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Copper Sun
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's parent company, its owner and two reporters, over a report claiming Trump wrote a "bawdy" personal note to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
From BBC • Jul. 18, 2025
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 • May 2, 2024
With roles in everything from bawdy and brutal live-action teen comedy to animated film to kitchen-based dramedy, Edebiri landed a spot as one of The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of 2023.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2023
Love or hate “Poor Things” — if you see it as a sharp commentary on the patriarchy or simply a bawdy, over-the-top romp — that’s up to you, Lanthimos says.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2023
Common, bawdy people—at a distance—had always amused him.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
