BAWDINESS Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

bawdiness

noun

Definition of bawdiness

as in grossness

the quality or state of being obscene the bawdiness of the song makes it inappropriate for children

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bawdiness Despite the heavy central theme of chronic illness, there’s a delicious bawdiness to Will There Ever Be Another You, a vulgar juvenilia evoking graffiti-tag genitals or the ding dong ditch scene from Billy Madison. — Eric Olson september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawdiness

Noun

But Paddy’s isn’t Sudz, and the Gang’s efforts to soft-pedal their antics to be more in line with those mainstream bars devolved into typical Sunny-style hostility and off-putting grossness.

— Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.

— Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026

Definition of grossness

Noun

Finding liberty in punk artistry, Dury updated the tradition of British music-hall ribaldry and rude folk humor.

— Armond White, National Review, 3 Aug. 2022
The young woman disappeared in the ribaldry, everyone smelling of perfume and drowning one another out in their hysterical good time.

— David Rabe, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2020

Definition of ribaldry

Noun

My main point is not just that there's lots of obscenity in both, but also lots of poetics in both.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Now, as some have noted, there are Supreme Court precedents that have already held that broadcasters don’t have complete free speech rights around things like, for example, obscenity.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of obscenity

Noun

But many seemingly urbane texts also benefited from the intellectual and moral coarseness of their times.

— Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.

— David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026

Definition of coarseness

Noun

Kelley pleaded guilty to both the remaining charges of public lewdness and obstructing government operations, according to local news outlet WSFA.

— Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
The writing, by Estelle Hoy and Justine Gelfman, was sassy and sharp, and the narrative exuded a whimsical lewdness that cut against the production’s overall slapstick sensibility.

— Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of lewdness

Browse Nearby Words

bawd

bawdiness

bawdries

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“Bawdiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawdiness. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bawdiness

noun

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