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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscene
Depardieu allegedly used obscene language with her and was pulled away from her by bodyguards, according to the AP.
—
Kc Baker, People.com, 24 Mar. 2025
The cause of Montgomery's wrath, and of his March 30 date, is the Federal Communications Commission, which set an April 1, 2025, deadline for smaller jails to lower the obscene rates of inmate phone calls.
—Ars Technica, 18 Mar. 2025
After his arrest, Smith told investigators that Denham had made obscene gestures toward his car, according to court documents.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2025
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), individuals may not block access to sidewalks or buildings, disrupt counterprotests, or engage in speech that is obscene, makes knowingly false statements of fact, or incites immediate violence or dangerous disturbances.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscene
Kc Baker, People.com, 24 Mar. 2025
The cause of Montgomery's wrath, and of his March 30 date, is the Federal Communications Commission, which set an April 1, 2025, deadline for smaller jails to lower the obscene rates of inmate phone calls.
—Ars Technica, 18 Mar. 2025
After his arrest, Smith told investigators that Denham had made obscene gestures toward his car, according to court documents.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2025
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), individuals may not block access to sidewalks or buildings, disrupt counterprotests, or engage in speech that is obscene, makes knowingly false statements of fact, or incites immediate violence or dangerous disturbances.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscene
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscene
Adjective
-
These were disgusting, irresponsible comments by someone who is charged with overseeing public health for hundreds of millions of people.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Do not tell the patient disgusting hospital stories about your own operations or procedures.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Europeans were enchanted by the expressive fluency that the New York critics had considered vulgar.—
David Denby,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2025
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The chief spoke at the LAPD’s Police Commission weekly meeting Tuesday, a day after news broke that officers from the department’s recruitment and employment division had been unknowingly recorded making vulgar comments, including while talking about police applicants.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Everyone knew it, especially when some San Francisco Giants batters took ugly hacks against it in the first inning.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Win that one, too, of course, and the No. 1-seed Cleveland Cavaliers and the best record in the NBA Eastern Conference would await to very likely only elongate the end for this Heat season and end it ugly. Do not expect a play-in to the Finals miracle run like Miami pulled off two years ago.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Verdugo had one more at-bat, closing out the bottom of the eighth inning with a foul pop out off another reliever, Cole Sands.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
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The Pistons foul at one of the highest rates in the league, and both Brunson and Towns will get their share of points from the floor and foul line.—
Jay Ginsbach,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Players who are in strong lineups on teams prone to having awful lineups on the floor in the same games are prone to having skewed impact numbers.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
And the awful topper came in his Arizona Fall League debut, where the Thomas Jefferson High School product was torched by some of baseball’s best prospects and didn’t make it out of the first inning.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Switching out a pump in a pit filled with raw sewage is nasty work.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
12 Apr. 2025
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The bear is back and things may stay nasty for the rest of 2025.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Scientists had initially feared this spread could represent another Ebola-like crisis — since that disease originated in animals, then jumped to humans, sickening and killing a large number of people.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
19 Mar. 2025
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The disconnect between the reality that many people are currently experiencing hunger, in part because of climate change, and this fancy dinner was sickening.—
The Dial,
The Dial,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Aurangzeb imprisoned his ailing father in 1658 and defeated his brother the year after, before forcibly parading him in chains on a filthy elephant on the streets of Delhi.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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The network has ordered Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, which will see the celebrity chef go undercover to rescue America’s filthiest restaurants.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscene.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscene. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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