1
as in pornographic
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
obscene gestures are totally inappropriate in the workplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
that ugly new store is really an obscene bit of architecture
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscene
For instance, the ruling recognized that the government’s need to protect national security might require it to prevent publication of the number and location of troops and that the primary requirements of decency might require censorship of obscene publications.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
Bounds said this gives the mayor the power to intervene when a member of the public engages in obscene speech or in speech intended to incite others in the room.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Pamela Martin, 44, and her boyfriend Christopher O’Kane, 41, both pleaded guilty in March to three counts of making an indecent image of a child, two counts of distributing an indecent image of a child, possession of an extreme pornographic image and publishing an obscene article.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
The incident was captured on the broadcast, and after the game, Duran explained that his obscene gesture was in response to a fan crossing the line.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscene
Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
Bounds said this gives the mayor the power to intervene when a member of the public engages in obscene speech or in speech intended to incite others in the room.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Pamela Martin, 44, and her boyfriend Christopher O’Kane, 41, both pleaded guilty in March to three counts of making an indecent image of a child, two counts of distributing an indecent image of a child, possession of an extreme pornographic image and publishing an obscene article.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
The incident was captured on the broadcast, and after the game, Duran explained that his obscene gesture was in response to a fan crossing the line.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscene
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscene
Adjective
-
Professor Glen-Peter Ahlers, 71, was arrested in February after at least hundreds of pornographic photos and videos of children were found on his hard drive.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
The illicit chatbots allegedly produced pornographic images.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
How on Earth could this Wild team, after dominating the first period and taking a 3-0 lead with a chance to keep its season alive and force a Game 6, collapse in such an absolutely disgusting fashion?—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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Just days ago, the CDC announced that over 100 passengers and more than a dozen crew members on a different ship, the Caribbean Princess, have been infected by norovirus—a less fatal but more disgusting illness.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Glamorous on the verge of vulgar, elegant yet unrestrained, and unmistakably luxurious.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
17 May 2026
-
Aimed mainly toward men between 18 and 49 years old, hot talk mixed vulgar jokes with talk about pop culture and politics and often took political positions contrary to feminism and liberalism.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Last year, the two teams met in London in an ugly 13-11 Denver win.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
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With respect to humor’s inherent subjectivity, the appallingly ugly aesthetics of the AI overwhelm any possible comedic sensibility on display.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The ball ricocheted off Holmes’ leg into foul territory on the first-base side.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
As for next steps in his game, Graves is trying to become a more reliable floor-spacer and perimeter defender; a monstrously high foul rate was his most notable negative during the season.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Gray has been good at home, a more reliable starter, and Painter has been awful overall.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
-
There was a sense of an extraordinary person and so many extraordinary people doing quite awful things throughout the year.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Drain Mats Kitchen sinks may be dirty, but your drain mat is downright nasty.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
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But facing the Jaguars after the Chiefs and before the Rams is nasty business.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
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Hmmm, a book about climate change, economic hardship, labor shortages, rising food prices, and a family having a horrible time?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obscene.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscene. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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