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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wantonness
Noun
-
The new law adds to existing municipal ordinances that forbid animal cruelty or neglect, including leaving a pet in too small of a space or outside in the hot Florida sun.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025 -
Miller faces four counts of cruelty to a companion animal and 34 counts of complicity.—
Aaron Valdez,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Kenya’s biggest cities have been roiled for days by protesters demonstrating against stagnating growth, soaring inequality, and police brutality.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
The entire world needs to stand up and condemn the severe incident, which again reveals the brutality of Hamas.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
Robert Rhoads, Oakland Park Politicians and vulgarities Your front-page article on the use of expletives by U.S.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
7 July 2025
-
During the presentation by PMM Chesterton, Kowalski was sharply critical and at one juncture used the vulgarity for bull waste.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
After all, the legal definition of obscenity has a multi-pronged high bar and is a criminal offense for individuals.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
3 July 2025
-
The law targets performances that fall under the state's obscenity restrictions, historically an extremely rigorous legal hurdle to clear in court.—
Melissa Brown,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Over-Nite Sensation is a triumph: a concentrated digest from perhaps the most popular stretch of his career, and a freeze-frame of his compositional flowering and ingenious lyrical ribaldry.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
The Atlantic,
27 Nov. 2023
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Finding liberty in punk artistry, Dury updated the tradition of British music-hall ribaldry and rude folk humor.—
Armond White,
National Review,
3 Aug. 2022
Noun
-
Steel and iron: Steel and iron production generate about 7% of global emissions with centuries-old blast furnace processes that use intense heat to melt iron ore and burn off impurities.—
Andres Clarens,
The Conversation,
23 June 2025
-
Fillers are a difficult-to-define category of miscellaneous food ingredients that are often maligned as purposeless impurities intended to cut cost, which, it could be argued, is itself a purpose.—
Ali Bouzari,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Wantonness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wantonness. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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