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
Relevance
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
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 obscene
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
Police found Pawula was responsible for obscene text messages sent to as many as 20 people, including Rita, on April 4, 2023, based on the phone’s records.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Lauren Elliott, though, was a designer at Broderbund Games, working in a former liquor store beneath a sign that said DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCY REDUCTION DEPARTMENT alongside an impish ex-Disney animator named Gene Portwood who often doodled Mickey Mouse in obscene poses.
—Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscene
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
Police found Pawula was responsible for obscene text messages sent to as many as 20 people, including Rita, on April 4, 2023, based on the phone’s records.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Lauren Elliott, though, was a designer at Broderbund Games, working in a former liquor store beneath a sign that said DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCY REDUCTION DEPARTMENT alongside an impish ex-Disney animator named Gene Portwood who often doodled Mickey Mouse in obscene poses.
—Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscene
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscene
Adjective
-
This material included thousands of pornographic deepfakes that Kamnik had generated using AI tools.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Police are investigating reports that Lake Zurich High School students used artificial intelligence to generate pornographic images of classmates, district officials said.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This was in itself disgusting but also came to represent the city’s problems.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
-
One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An ugly first period added to the initial grimness.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Their pricey homegrown core — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs — combined to go 13-of-42 from the field and an ugly 1-of-13 from deep.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Shaw lined out to right field, Bregman popped out into foul territory and, after Ian Happ was intentionally walked, Seiya Suzuki also popped out in foul territory to end the game.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Playing first base, he was booed for dropping a foul pop-up, then made a catch on a similar ball.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The par 3 celebrity caddie idea is awful.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
-
That's going to be awful difficult!—
Ashley Velie,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This was the old Magic — the nasty, physical, suffocating defensive team that made every possession feel like work.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
-
From there, the beef between the two couples runs the gamut from faux-gentile to downright nasty.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On that horrible day, Dad was outside his vehicle supervising a ditch cleaning operation when a driver ignored traffic control devices, drove through a closed lane, and struck him, pinning him between two vehicles.—
Allysson Bornt,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
And every family has that annoying uncle that makes horrible jokes or one situation after another.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obscene.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscene. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
