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
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
The practice of slavery continued long after the abolition of the slave trade by France in 1818, with enslavers supported by the state for acts of astonishing, wanton violence.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024
William McCants, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015
Marks is also charged with wanton endangerment, reckless driving and menacing.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Adjective
Spider-Man rescues and moves the pets while avoiding Butane's wanton destruction, before putting him down for the count with the help of a giant fish tank.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
The practice of slavery continued long after the abolition of the slave trade by France in 1818, with enslavers supported by the state for acts of astonishing, wanton violence.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
The jihadists do still manage to dupe some Muslims into signing up for their cause, but most Muslims are horrified by their wanton killing of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
—William McCants, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015
Marks is also charged with wanton endangerment, reckless driving and menacing.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanton
Adjective
-
After the man told the boy to get out of the road, the juvenile responded with cursing and an obscene gesture, the report said.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
-
Stop into any local bakery and ask for their specialty, many of which contain obscene amounts of egg yolks.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
It’s been possible, but hard to find Fettercairn from independent bottlers in the United States, and those who seek it out are passionate about it, Boice said.—
Gina Pace,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
-
Gabriella is a cousin of King Charles through her father Prince Michael's side of the family and a passionate musician who played an advisory role around the musical performances for Kate's Together at Christmas carol service in December at Westminster Abbey.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Scheifele’s emotional and inspirational decision to play mere hours after his father’s unexpected death — to play for his dad, to play because of his dad — ended in cruel fashion, with Scheifele helpless in the penalty box.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
-
At first the program seems to be benign, but Hayakawa’s film steadily reveals how the policy thrives on the cruel capitalist tenet that people are disposable.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
As gold flirts with all-time highs again, headlines are quick to shout what many family offices already know: when the world trembles, gold glitters.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
In the middle of all this, Alexa and Lino remain pretty steadfast in their commitment to each other (except when Lino occasionally gets the urge to cheat and flirts with Alex, who turns him down every time).—
Charlotte Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In that sense, the vulgar Vader situation creates a touchy dilemma for Epic Games and Disney, which likely invested substantially in this high-profile collaboration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 May 2025
-
Amid the attention, the new pontiff's eldest brother has drawn scrutiny for social media posts praising Trump and using inflammatory, vulgar rhetoric toward Democrats and transgender people.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Pour hot cream over chocolate chips in a large heatproof mixing bowl; let stand 3 minutes.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
22 May 2025
-
This conservatism is warranted on hot, still summer days when everyone is cranking up their air conditioning, but such caution often restricts the amount of electricity available to customers.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
When local Officer and single mother Dana Cypress is unexpectedly thrown into the center of a brutal murder mystery of her own, she’s left to make sense of the chaos amidst a town gripped by fear and confusion where everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
12 May 2025
-
Bruno Silva via first-round KO This finish was absolutely brutal.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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The lustful reggaeton-bachata song about a twisted love affair would shock fans upon its release in the spring of 2005.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
-
One of my obsessions is the hip-hop love song, and how the exaggerated, theatrical, and lustful nature of the genre makes for some of the realest and funniest depictions of catching feelings.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wanton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanton. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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