1
as in vulgarity
the quality or state of being obscene
the song couldn't be performed on the air due to the obscenity of the lyrics
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
uttered a loud obscenity when he dropped the hammer on his toe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscenity
Back in the 1920s, several residents of the seaside town of Littlehampton in England began receiving poison pen letters rife with obscenities and false rumors.
—
Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
In short: Your former co-worker needs to cut this [obscenity redacted] out.
—Anna Holmes, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Why do opponents use an obscenity in their signs?
Jeanne Woodbury, an activist who works with the lobbying firm Creosote Partners, put up 10 campaign signs around the Phoenix area opposing Proposition 138.
—Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024
These laws could also face an uphill battle in the courts, including the Supreme Court, which have shot down certain obscenity laws as unconstitutional.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obscenity 
Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
In short: Your former co-worker needs to cut this [obscenity redacted] out.
—Anna Holmes, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Why do opponents use an obscenity in their signs?
Jeanne Woodbury, an activist who works with the lobbying firm Creosote Partners, put up 10 campaign signs around the Phoenix area opposing Proposition 138.
—Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024
These laws could also face an uphill battle in the courts, including the Supreme Court, which have shot down certain obscenity laws as unconstitutional.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obscenity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscenity
Noun
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Even those Republicans who are wary of his volatile leadership style, penchant for vulgarity and willingness to violate conservative orthodoxies are generally reluctant to air those criticisms publicly.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
21 Dec. 2024
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Corbet’s awkward forcing of his characters into his conceptual framework leads to absurdities and vulgarities—not least in the depiction of László’s first and only Black acquaintance, a laborer named Gordon (Isaach De Bankolé), as a heroin addict.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Glamour is a gift and a curse as Venus and Neptune align.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
1 Feb. 2025
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Google / Ars Technica A cathartic curse eliminates the AI Overview in the results.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The station asked the band not to include the swears.—
Kris Holt,
Forbes,
2 Dec. 2024
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There’s a heavy focus on Asia’s first One&Only spa, featuring a green caviar body exfoliation and an Augustinus Bader facial celebs swear by.—
Katie Lockhart,
Robb Report,
11 Oct. 2024
Noun
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One study, published in 2014 by other researchers in the field, found that curse words on Twitter, now known as X, appeared in 7.7 percent of posts, with profanity representing about 1 in every 10 words on the platform.—
Matt Richtel,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2025
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Animal Noises The original poster (OP) explained that the group of seven young diners was rowdy, using excessive profanity and making animal noises while ordering the most expensive entrees and desserts.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Academy didn’t seem to mind, awarding the film 13 Oscar nods, the most for any non-English language film in history.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
8 Feb. 2025
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Given the baroque language of the text, not to mention the metaphysical events within the narrative itself, Dieter’s exact exploits remain open for interpretation.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
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Molina, a gay hairdresser convicted of public indecency during Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship, has been sent to the political wing of a prison and put in the same cell as Valentin Arregui (a solid, if unremarkable Diego Luna), an intense and serious-minded Marxist revolutionary.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2025
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In a grimy torture complex of a Buenos Aires prison as military dictatorship rages in the outside world, Luis is locked up for public indecency, while Valentin is behind bars for his participation in a leftist revolutionary group trying to topple the government.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The show’s interrogation of conservative history is rigorous and occasionally peppered with expletives, but the exchanges with guests are nuanced and civil.—
Jeffrey Fleishman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Dec. 2024
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Sound quality is exceptional, and the microphone won't miss a single expletive in your heated gaming moments.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PCMAG,
2 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near obscenity
Cite this Entry
“Obscenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscenity. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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