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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscenity
On Florida college campuses, student attempts to speak out for Palestinian rights — including calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas — have been met with Islamophobia and obscenities in some instances, students say.
—
Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
People saw it not once, not twice, but over and over, frequently dressing up as the characters and hurling things — toast, rice, puns, obscenities — at the screen.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
On Saturday, McIlroy repeatedly had to step away from his golf ball as spectators shouted obscenities and personal insults at the Irishman.
—Jenna West, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
In addition to taking the guinea pigs, the perpetrators wrote obscenities and a racial slur on a whiteboard.
—Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
People saw it not once, not twice, but over and over, frequently dressing up as the characters and hurling things — toast, rice, puns, obscenities — at the screen.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
On Saturday, McIlroy repeatedly had to step away from his golf ball as spectators shouted obscenities and personal insults at the Irishman.
—Jenna West, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
In addition to taking the guinea pigs, the perpetrators wrote obscenities and a racial slur on a whiteboard.
—Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscenity
Noun
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Songs marked explicit mean their lyrics include swear words or other vulgarities.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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The presence of these planes flying close to our Caribbean Sea is a vulgarity, a provocation, a threat to the security of the nation.—
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But, because of the fragile nature of the pumpkin, Bierton understands that it’s not meant to last, which is both a blessing and a curse.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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The pic, from director Marcel Walz and Anathema LLC, follows what happens when a carefree night of partying takes a sinister turn when a group of friends stumble upon an ancient curse and are forced to survive until dawn as a malevolent force begins hunting them.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In fact, plenty of other things in your home surpass the toilet in terms of grossness.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
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Brain rot has become unavoidable, its grossness ubiquitous.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Visitors of years past swear by their trick-or-treating hauls from these affluent neighborhoods, specifically the homes of Marissa Meyer (Professorville), Mark Zuckerberg (Crescent Park) and Larry Page and Laurene Powell Jobs (Old Palo Alto).—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
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Does Taylor Swift swear on 'The Life of a Showgirl'?—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hosts like Kristen Stewart, Sam Rockwell and Ariana Grande have all dropped uncensored profanity during their monologues or sketches.—
William Earl,
Variety,
19 Oct. 2025
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Insults and profanity were heard in a fan’s video of the exchange.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
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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One of the most basic versions is a progressive relaxation technique, a countdown from 10 to 1 where Perri uses what are known as hypnotic language patterns.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Cite this Entry
“Obscenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscenity. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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