1
as in vulgarity
the quality or state of being obscene
the song couldn't be performed on the air due to the obscenity of the lyrics
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
uttered a loud obscenity when he dropped the hammer on his toe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscenity
He was also arrested in 2002 for possessing child pornography, though those charges were later dropped and reduced to a misdemeanor charge for obscenity.
—
James Factora, Them, 27 Jan. 2025
Deputies said the victim was struck with a belt more than 50 times and was choked and called several disparaging names and other obscenities.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2024
Back in the 1920s, several residents of the seaside town of Littlehampton in England began receiving poison pen letters rife with obscenities and false rumors.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
In short: Your former co-worker needs to cut this [obscenity redacted] out.
—Anna Holmes, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
James Factora, Them, 27 Jan. 2025
Deputies said the victim was struck with a belt more than 50 times and was choked and called several disparaging names and other obscenities.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2024
Back in the 1920s, several residents of the seaside town of Littlehampton in England began receiving poison pen letters rife with obscenities and false rumors.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
In short: Your former co-worker needs to cut this [obscenity redacted] out.
—Anna Holmes, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscenity
Noun
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Without condoning the vulgarity of Team Trump, the shock may be useful.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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Even those Republicans who are wary of his volatile leadership style, penchant for vulgarity and willingness to violate conservative orthodoxies are generally reluctant to air those criticisms publicly.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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As the phenomena intensify, Skye realizes she may have been marked by the same curse that claimed so many lives before her.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Episode 5 - Le Curse of Leclerc: Charles Leclerc breaks the Monaco curse in this episode by winning the Grand Prix and explaining the emotional importance of the feat.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Could a nice good swear on the pitch to express one’s anger stop a player from lashing out physically, channelling their anger through their vocal cords rather than their fists?—
Nick Miller,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
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The station asked the band not to include the swears.—
Kris Holt,
Forbes,
2 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Per the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the final part of Willingham's statement was omitted due to profanity.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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In the comments section, several TikTok users noted that some fans have taken to slamming Evans with the same profanity whenever Ballerini performs the song at her concerts.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The song has been covered in various languages by more than 30 singers in its 52-year history — including The White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, Miley Cyrus, Mindy Smith and many more.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
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Republican lawmakers, however, are refusing to include any such language in the funding bill.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
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As an undercover policeman, his job is to loiter near the men’s bathroom at the local shopping mall and seduce passing trade into committing acts of what his superiors would call gross indecency.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2025
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Molina, a gay hairdresser convicted of public indecency during Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship, has been sent to the political wing of a prison and put in the same cell as Valentin Arregui (a solid, if unremarkable Diego Luna), an intense and serious-minded Marxist revolutionary.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Mountfield, 62, responded by questioning, with a scattering of expletives, who Fernandes even was.—
Laurie Whitwell,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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The show’s interrogation of conservative history is rigorous and occasionally peppered with expletives, but the exchanges with guests are nuanced and civil.—
Jeffrey Fleishman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Obscenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscenity. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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