1
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
that novel was once regarded as a wanton tale of forbidden love
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
in earlier times, novelists usually portrayed wanton women as coming to a bad end
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cruel
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a wanton attack on unarmed civilians
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wanton
Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
Addison Brown, 22, is charged with arson, wanton endangerment and murder-domestic violence, according to court records.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2025
Liza Esquibias, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
He was found not guilty of state-level wanton endangerment charges related to shots fired that entered the apartment of Taylor's neighbors in March 2022.
—Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Adjective
Rather than Kersey’s wanton aggression, the key to navigating these tensions is a culture of accountability.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
Addison Brown, 22, is charged with arson, wanton endangerment and murder-domestic violence, according to court records.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
Huger was ultimately charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
He was found not guilty of state-level wanton endangerment charges related to shots fired that entered the apartment of Taylor's neighbors in March 2022.
—Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanton
Adjective
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His night ended amid a storm of laughing students and obscene gestures.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
However, that approach might convince possible free agent targets (say Green’s Bay’s Malik Willis) to look elsewhere, unless the money Miami’s offering is obscene, and far exceeds another franchise.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Rosa Martínez, Margarito’s sister, remembered him as someone who was always passionate about his work and an inspiration.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Kepner is passionate about accountability and service journalism and encourages anyone to reach out to her to tell their story or share a tip.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, sought to show that his past had formed him, but there was a cruel irony in the reference.—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Many of these schools are impossibly competitive – impossibly and fantastically cruel.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Casey Wasserman flirt-emailed with Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2003.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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The protagonist of A Love Story is a lover boy, a libertine, a gossip, a flirt.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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When authorities asked King to remove the breast banner as vulgar, King taped over the nipples with stars made of tape or Magic Marker.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
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Sarah, the former Duchess of York, also sent emails to Epstein which included a vulgar mention of Eugenie, who had not yet turned 20 at the time, People reported.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Freak from The Girls Deli in North Park is a hot sandwich with salty pastrami, brisket, melted jack cheese, bacon, mustard, spicy sriracha mayo, onions, and jalapeños.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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The show captures the frenzy of all-consuming lust and the chaos that arises in the wake of a blazing hot relationship without true depth or knowledge of the other partner.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The regime accused protesters of being Israeli spies and deployed the brutal local paramilitary Basij force to suppress demonstrations which were sparked by poor economic conditions but transformed into calls for regime change.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Olivia, Bailey’s mother, was really Kate Smith, and her father was Nicholas Bell (David Morse), famous mob lawyer for The Syndicate, or The Organization, a group notorious for crimes and brutal retaliation against their enemies.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Millions of children were watching and the lyrics were purely pornographic.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
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The startup has faced a global backlash over its Grok chatbot, which was allowed to generate nonconsensual pornographic images of women and children for weeks before the team stepped in to stop it.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanton. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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