What does lowbrowed mean?
Lowbrowed means lacking intellectual sophistication, cultural refinement, or good taste. It is commonly used to criticize crude humor, vulgar entertainment, or material aimed at audiences considered unsophisticated, although the adjective can also carry a broadly dismissive tone toward popular culture as a whole. The expression is more common in criticism and informal discussion than in formal writing, and applying it directly to a person can be particularly insulting. Derived from the compound “low brow,” it presents unfashionable or intellectually shallow tastes as literally low or inferior. In contemporary use, it is often contrasted with sophisticated, refined, or high-minded cultural forms, though the term does not always imply that the subject is intended solely for a mass audience.
adjectiveCharacterized by lack of intellectual sophistication or cultural refinement; vulgar or common in a disparaging sense. The term can also describe works or audiences associated with unsophisticated popular culture.
- Lacking intellectual sophistication, cultural refinement, or good taste; vulgar or coarse.
- Characterized by or appealing to unsophisticated popular tastes.
"The television channel was criticized for its lowbrowed humor and endless reruns."
"The comedian's lowbrowed jokes offended several members of the audience."
"The magazine has been accused of promoting lowbrowed entertainment to a mass audience."
The word takes its image from the brow: something “lowbrowed” was supposed to come from the head, but with little thought or refinement behind it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lowbrowed come from?
The word developed from the compound “low brow,” literally referring to a low forehead or brow, and figuratively to a supposedly low level of intellectual or cultural taste. “Lowbrowed” became an established adjective in the 19th century, used especially to describe coarse entertainment and popular cultural forms. It shares its root with words such as brow, eyebrow, browbeat, and browbeaten.
Related word forms
How lowbrowed is actually used
This is a disparaging term and is generally more common in criticism or informal commentary than in formal writing. It can describe both individual behavior and cultural products, but it is often considered more insulting when applied directly to a person.
Easily confused with lowbrowed
“Lowbrowed” is the standard adjectival form, while “lowbrow” can be used as an adjective or as a noun for an unsophisticated person or a form of popular culture.