bawdy

American  

[baw-dee] / ˈbɔ di /

adjective

bawdier, bawdiest

1. indecent; lewd; obscene.

   another of his bawdy stories.

   Synonyms:

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

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noun

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

   a collection of Elizabethan bawdy.

bawdy British  

/ ˈbɔːdɪ /

adjective

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

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noun

1. obscenity or eroticism, esp in writing or drama

Other Word Forms

• bawdily adverb
• bawdiness noun

Etymology

Origin of bawdy

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

Example Sentences

A surprise cameo from Lizzo paid alms to their long friendship, and a bawdy slice of her verse from Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy” proved she can own even a nemesis’ material with her charisma.

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

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 best thing about “Players” is the cadence and camaraderie of the leads, whose jokes come fast and bawdy and feel authentic to a gang of people who’ve known each other far too long.

From New York Times

Big, bawdy, political, serious and very fun, the show opened to rapturous reviews.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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