1
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
that novel was once regarded as a wanton tale of forbidden love
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
in earlier times, novelists usually portrayed wanton women as coming to a bad end
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cruel
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a wanton attack on unarmed civilians
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 wanton
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
As tit-for-tat tariffs spiraled, both countries eased their rhetoric in a bid to avoid wanton economic destruction.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
Parents and teachers concerned about wanton immigration raids and their effect on kids.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Adjective
The bloody history of the conflict has made it so that some people interpret the language of Palestinian liberation as a call for the wanton murder of Israelis.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
As tit-for-tat tariffs spiraled, both countries eased their rhetoric in a bid to avoid wanton economic destruction.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
Huger was ultimately charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.
—Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
Parents and teachers concerned about wanton immigration raids and their effect on kids.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanton
Adjective
-
The legislation would require social media platforms to estimate the age of users and exclude obscene content to children 16 years old or younger.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The use of obscene or indecent clothing or signs will result in expulsion.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Malinin, at the post-skate press conference following his world title victory, made his thoughts known in a passionate plea to the ISU (International Skating Union).—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Fans are going to be passionate.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Its tulle is brittle and sharp, brushing against my fur like a thousand tiny teeth, a cruel lover that bites with every move.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Because here’s the last, and cruelest, kicker.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One flirts and drinks and dallies and dances; the other is part child, part monk, his mantel packed with icons and crucifixes, his inner landscape a kind of mental Sagrada Família — a weird and extraordinary edifice constructed around the rigors and promises of Christianity.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Casey Wasserman flirt-emailed with Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2003.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Doncic claimed Bitadze directed a vulgar comment about Doncic’s family in Serbian toward the Lakers star guard.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The play, like the movie, is loosely based on a robbery that took place in 1972, on a boiling-hot August day, when an eccentric, deep-in-debt Vietnam veteran named John Wojtowicz entered a Chase bank in Brooklyn with a gun and two accomplices, hoping for a quick score.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Rather than offering just the standard facials and massages (which are also on the menu), the spa has red and blue light therapy and a treatment where guests can alternate between a hot sauna and a cold plunge.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the timing of this meltdown was brutal.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Orlando City heads west after a two-week break, trying to snap out of a brutal early-season slump, but the Lions face a steep climb against a Los Angeles FC squad that hasn’t conceded a goal this year.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Brazil requires supervision and restricts the infinite scroll A Brazilian law that seeks to shield minors from addictive, violent and pornographic online content took effect this month, with experts calling it a milestone in the protection of children and adolescents.—
Barbara Ortutay,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
More than 100 students and parents from Lancaster Country Day School were in court to hear victims describe the shock of having to identify their own faces in pornographic photos to detectives.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanton. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
