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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscenity
Before some of you Jets fans direct obscenities in my direction, hear me out for a minute.
—
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2025
In one of the incidents, someone spray painted an obscenity believed to be directed at Musk before being chased away by a security guard, according to a Loveland police affidavit.
—Colleen Slevin, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025
Prosecutors quoted the group’s lyrics in a criminal trial that ended with a jury finding the artists, including rap legend Uncle Luke, not guilty of obscenity.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Last Friday, the 31-year-old country star stopped her concert at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, to chastise fans who were yelling obscenities about the 39-year-old Australian singer.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2025
In one of the incidents, someone spray painted an obscenity believed to be directed at Musk before being chased away by a security guard, according to a Loveland police affidavit.
—Colleen Slevin, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025
Prosecutors quoted the group’s lyrics in a criminal trial that ended with a jury finding the artists, including rap legend Uncle Luke, not guilty of obscenity.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Last Friday, the 31-year-old country star stopped her concert at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, to chastise fans who were yelling obscenities about the 39-year-old Australian singer.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscenity
Noun
-
Lashing out from the White House, Mr. Trump used a vulgarity to accuse Mr. Xi and Mr. Lam of plotting to exploit the United States.—
Ann Scott Tyson,
Christian Science Monitor,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Those incidents range from keying swastikas to spray-painting other vulgarities.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Homewood’s location on the western shore of Lake Tahoe is both a blessing and a curse.—
Megan Michelson,
Outside Online,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The annual cost-of-living adjustment Social Security recipients receive is both a blessing and a curse.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Is this the kind of situation where mild swears seem generally used?—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
And the American president used profanities over how Israel carried out the war in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.—
Luke Broadwater,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The uncensored version was initially available on Peacock Sunday morning but was later replaced with an edited version that removed the profanity.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Subtitles are easy to add to film, but, for the most part, they were used only when actors and audiences spoke different languages.—
David Owen,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Pope Francis preached the same gospel in different language.—
John Hope Bryant,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
-
The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
-
The spokesperson did not respond to an email from the Statesman about the new indecency bill.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Feb. 2025
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Less than two years later in 1977, he was convicted of indecency with a 12-year-old girl and served just over three years in prison.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA TODAY,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Mischer lost his temper and let out a string of expletives — which went out live on CNN.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Upon hearing the truth, Kevin drags his son out of the container, gives him an earful of expletives, and zaps him with a taser baton.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscenity. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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