wantonness

noun

Definition of wantonnessnext
1
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others the barbaric wantonness with which the guards treated the prisoners of war

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grossness
the quality or state of being obscene novels characterized chiefly by their sheer wantonness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wantonness Grace’s playfully feral wantonness is funny and bewitching, but her schtick loses its luster for Jackson, who takes a job that keeps him away from home, leaving her with the baby. — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wantonness
  1. cruelty
  2. grossness
  3. brutality
  4. vulgarity
  5. suggestiveness
  6. lasciviousness
  7. lewdness
  8. coarseness
Noun
  • Assembly Bill 2344 by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) would give animals seized in cruelty cases a respite from crowded shelters by allowing them to be placed in foster homes or with animal rescue groups.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The stupidity of losing his car was one thing; the cruelty of forcing her to make that choice was quite another.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of cruelty
Noun
  • All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.
    — Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of grossness
Noun
  • On Friday, prosecutor Scott Warfman detailed the brutality of the crime, urging the judge to hand down several life sentences.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
  • Crump is a civil rights attorney best known for representing the families of Black people who are victims of gun violence and police brutality.
    — Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of brutality
Noun
  • The once-vaunted values of public life are now reduced to the lower standards of private life—venality, vulgarity, rudeness, incontinence, and ignorance.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • Benoit delights in language as much as her heroine, weaving Regency-era slang throughout and appending a chapter-by-chapter glossary of vulgarities.
    — Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 2026
Definition of vulgarity
Noun
  • The bucket quickly went viral for its not-safe-for-work suggestiveness.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of suggestiveness
Noun
  • Marie is disciplined and principled, while her rebellious daughter prides herself on breaking the rules and reveling in lasciviousness.
    — Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 30 Dec. 2025
Definition of lasciviousness
Noun
  • This is a distinct category from the Mile-High Clubbers, whose lewdness is much more inappropriate.
    — Christopher Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Claud has two convictions for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age and one conviction for open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior.
    — Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
Definition of lewdness
Noun
  • But many seemingly urbane texts also benefited from the intellectual and moral coarseness of their times.
    — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of coarseness

Browse Nearby Words

wantonly
wantonness
wantons
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Cite this Entry

“Wantonness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wantonness. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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