as in grossness
the quality or state of being obscene
the lewdness of the material on that website makes it inappropriate for children
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Recent Examples of lewdness
This is a distinct category from the Mile-High Clubbers, whose lewdness is much more inappropriate.
—
Christopher Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026
Claud has two convictions for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age and one conviction for open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
Christopher Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026
Claud has two convictions for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age and one conviction for open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lewdness
Noun
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All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
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There are no great surprises from here on out, though the sheer, lusty grossness of the fallout is occasionally startling.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Benoit delights in language as much as her heroine, weaving Regency-era slang throughout and appending a chapter-by-chapter glossary of vulgarities.—
Angelina Mazza,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
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On Monday night, that park seemed so far away as Knicks fans rained vulgarities down on Wembanyama and his teammates inside Madison Square Garden.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Jonathan Xavier Valdez, 36, of Blue Springs, faces charges of production of child obscenity involving multiple minors, according to a news release from Dave Ketchmark, a spokesperson for the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Missouri.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
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People throwing cigarette butts against the house, yelling obscenities, playing derogatory music.—
Madeleine Wright,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Noun
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There’s some rudeness, aggressive conversations, and crudeness, but nothing too over the top.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The other funnymen of the time—Milton Berle with his lewd suggestiveness, Jackie Gleason with his baleful roar—did the same shtick over and over.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Marie is disciplined and principled, while her rebellious daughter prides herself on breaking the rules and reveling in lasciviousness.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Essence,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Egypt has arrested and prosecuted gays and lesbians on the basis of vague indecency laws and has cracked down on any outward expressions of Pride, especially the waving of rainbow flags.—
Andrew Destin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
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On this day in 1895, Wilde was convicted of gross indecency for his homosexual relationships—a crime in Victorian England.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 May 2026
Noun
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But many seemingly urbane texts also benefited from the intellectual and moral coarseness of their times.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lewdness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lewdness. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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