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
Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Mystic Rayne, 53, is facing charges of wanton endangerment and criminal mischief.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Mar. 2026
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Armond Langford, 32, is facing multiple charges including robbery, kidnapping, assault, wanton endangerment, fleeing/evading police, burglary and persistent felony offender.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Adjective
And yet this is the type of building that seems always to be in danger of wanton destruction in Chicago.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Mystic Rayne, 53, is facing charges of wanton endangerment and criminal mischief.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
His characters enjoy casual conversation but don’t brook wanton confession.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Armond Langford, 32, is facing multiple charges including robbery, kidnapping, assault, wanton endangerment, fleeing/evading police, burglary and persistent felony offender.
—Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanton
Adjective
-
It was seized by the post office (as Rosset had expected) and duly declared obscene by the postmaster of the city of New York, a man named Robert Christenberry.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Who says a man can’t appreciate the gleaming, obscene form of an Aston Martin supercar or the growl of its overpriced engine?—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Bonner brought the bull market with him to CSUF, bringing his pressing, pestering and passionate style of play to a fanbase starved for success.—
Brian Robin,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
-
Madison Square Garden is set to be filled to the brim Monday night with passionate Knicks fans decked out in their orange and blue pride, but eyes may be on what two of the most powerful New Yorkers will be doing during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The immigrant-detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, deep in the Florida Everglades, stands out as a uniquely cruel publicity stunt with an absurdly high price tag, in which much of the money goes into just a few pockets.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
Therefore, a second execution would not violate the prohibition on double jeopardy or on the imposition of cruel punishment.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The hole’s narrow fairway flirts with disaster on both sides – water and super high rough.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
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Sliding effortlessly from incisive observer to chaotic flirt to exhausting narcissist, Firstman is never not in on the joke.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Apparently some fans were using some vulgar language toward Brunson in Game 1.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Doolan also received several emails calling her a vulgar word that typically refers to women.—
Maven Navarro
June 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Volunteers cook a hot breakfast for up to 250 people each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday morning.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The Spurs came out hot for the second consecutive game Wednesday, racing to a 41-22 lead by the end of the first quarter.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Bichette is off to a brutal start, Francisco Lindor’s spring hamate injury may have affected his power even before his calf strain knocked him out for the last month, and Jorge Polanco has barely been on the field.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Hounded by a loud, impatient Eisenhower and faced with the very real evidence that a brutal trio of storms will make an early June invasion impossible, Stagg is torn between doing his duty and, well, doing his duty.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
There is plenty of pornographic decoration in contemporary popular culture, but very little of it is consequential.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Authorities alleged that their tactics included intimidating the women, placing them under constant surveillance and forcing them to perform pornographic acts that were then shared on social media.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanton. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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