obscene

adjective

ob·​scene äb-ˈsēn 

əb-

1

: disgusting to the senses : repulsive

2

a

: abhorrent to morality or virtue

specifically : designed to incite to lust or depravity

… the dance often becomes flagrantly obscene and definitely provocative …

—Margaret Mead

b

: containing or being language regarded as taboo in polite usage

obscene lyrics

obscene literature

c

: repulsive by reason of crass disregard of moral or ethical principles

an obscene misuse of power

d

: so excessive as to be offensive

obscene wealth

obscene waste

obscenely adverb

Synonyms

• bawdy
• blue
• coarse
• crude
• dirty
• filthy
• foul
• gross
• gutter
• impure
• indecent
• lascivious
• lewd
• locker-room
• nasty
• pornographic
• porny
• profane
• raunchy
• ribald
• smutty
• stag
• trashy
• unprintable
• vulgar
• wanton
• X-rated

Choose the Right Synonym for obscene

coarse, vulgar, gross, obscene, ribald mean offensive to good taste or morals.

coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

a loud vulgar belch

gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

gross eating habits

obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

obscene language not allowed on the air

ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

Examples of obscene in a Sentence

He was accused of making obscene phone calls.

He made an obscene gesture at the driver who cut him off.

The company's executives earn obscene salaries.

He spends an obscene amount of money on clothes.

Recent Examples on the Web

The bill uses Idaho’s obscenity laws to determine the definition for obscene materials. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2024

According to a 2018 press release issued by the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office, Carpenter-Bearse was charged last year with distributing obscene materials to a minor. —Laura Lane, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024

Prosecutors charged him with two counts of burglary, one count of contacting a minor with unlawful intent, three counts of possessing child pornography and two counts of distributing obscene material involving minors, according to El Dorado Superior Court records. —Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024

Banners or signs may not be commercial in nature, obscene or cause any disturbance to other fans. —Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association, the union which represents prison guards, has worked members of both parties to extract from public coffers obscene and utterly unjustified amounts of money. —The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024

But what these parents had to suffer in the process, on top of what had already occurred, was obscene. —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024

Some were shouting taunts or making obscene gestures. —Marianne Levine, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024

What’s behind that obscene cost is probably no surprise to anyone who even just sometimes glances at these Opinion pages. —The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, "offensively indecent," borrowed from Latin obscēnus, obscaenus "ill-omened, unpropitious, evoking disgust, loathsome, indecent, lewd," of uncertain origin

Note: M. de Vaan (Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Brill, 2008), following a suggestion by Ernout and Meillet, connects obscaenus (if this was the earliest form) with scaevus "left, on the left-hand side, inauspicious," and proposes an original *ob-skai-no- "coming from the left, unpropitious," from Indo-European *skeh₂i- "in shadow."

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

obscene

adjective

ob·​scene äb-ˈsēn 

əb-

1

: repulsive, disgusting

2

: very shocking to one's sense of what is moral or decent

obscenely adverb

Legal Definition

obscene

adjective

ob·​scene äb-ˈsēn 

: extremely or deeply offensive according to contemporary community standards of morality or decency see also Roth v. United States

Note: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that obscene applies to materials that appeal predominantly to a prurient interest in sexual conduct, depict or describe sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Material or expression deemed obscene by the court is not protected by the free speech guarantee of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin obscenus obscaenus indecent, lewd