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
What was disturbing were people who sped past a foot away from elderly people, shouting obscenities with faces twisted in hatred.
—
Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
The Chico State allegations were covered by the Chico Enterprise-Record, which reported in 2006 that players accused Goodenbour of degrading them and directing obscenities at them.
—Julia Haney, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
But as the film quietly signals, a society’s obscenities are not aberrations, only parts of an ugly chapter in a long history.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
There’s an obscenity with pearls.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
The Chico State allegations were covered by the Chico Enterprise-Record, which reported in 2006 that players accused Goodenbour of degrading them and directing obscenities at them.
—Julia Haney, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
But as the film quietly signals, a society’s obscenities are not aberrations, only parts of an ugly chapter in a long history.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
There’s an obscenity with pearls.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscenity
Noun
-
His vulgarity, insults and threats do not make America great.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The values are different now, the lifestyles, the accepted vulgarity, the manners, the view of what’s patriotic and what’s not, the concept of service.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the first story, a couple worry about how a possible family curse that began when an ancestor made a bargain to escape enslavement might affect their happy life.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
-
There are still deliveries of hate mail from conservative neighbors who disapprove of their lifestyle, and occasional drive-bys punctuated with curses yelled from car windows, but they’ve largely been accepted by the community.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
If an exclamation point only signified gore and grossness, this gothic rock opera would more than qualify.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kennedy could be heard hurling swears at the Swedish team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
-
And Boring would be that much closer to its 90,000-rider pinkie-swear.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Ball ended up being fined $60,000 for his actions during the game ($35,000 for the foul, $25,000 for postgame profanity on TV) and assessed a flagrant foul.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
-
He was fined $25,000 for using profanity in an on-court postgame interview.—
Steve Reed,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s some rudeness, aggressive conversations, and crudeness, but nothing too over the top.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
These are not lazy callbacks, but shared touchstones — part of a pop cultural language the film embedded into our collective consciousness, and that the show both celebrates and lovingly skewers.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
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The Oakland City Council did not author the actual language of the parcel tax initiative, which will appear as Measure E on the June ballot and is expected to generate $34 million annually.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obscenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscenity. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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