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
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2
as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
in earlier times, novelists usually portrayed wanton women as coming to a bad end
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of wanton
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
The judge stated that the lawsuit could continue on one count, that Martinez’s claimed willful, wanton and reckless misconduct caused Nixon’s death.
—Daniel Tepfer, Connecticut Post, 22 Oct. 2024
Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 4 Feb. 2024
Brenda Chilton, 71, William Mahoney, 72, Codey Johnson, 29, and Tammy Simmons, 52, all of Carrollton, were arrested and charged with first-degree criminal abuse and first-degree wanton endangerment.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wanton 
Adjective
Further downtown, the Warriors meet the Orphans, Hill’s quasi-Latinx solution to the wanton cruelty of the depiction of the Puerto Rican gang in the book.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
The judge stated that the lawsuit could continue on one count, that Martinez’s claimed willful, wanton and reckless misconduct caused Nixon’s death.
—Daniel Tepfer, Connecticut Post, 22 Oct. 2024
Noun
Smith was taken into custody and charged with wanton endangerment, disorderly conduct, menacing and resisting arrest.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 4 Feb. 2024
Brenda Chilton, 71, William Mahoney, 72, Codey Johnson, 29, and Tammy Simmons, 52, all of Carrollton, were arrested and charged with first-degree criminal abuse and first-degree wanton endangerment.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wanton
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanton
Adjective
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He was booked on charges of enticing a child under 16, distribution of obscene matter, and lascivious posing and exhibiting a child in the nude.Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 3 Dec. 2024
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Of course, obscene content has been censored, and services that clearly broke intellectual property laws, like Napster, WikiLeaks, and The Pirate Bay were shuttered, but, for the average person, the internet remained broadly open in the United States.Callum Booth, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Her passionate speech about the dangers of undervaluing yourself gives her a huge leg up in the Oscar race for Best Actress.Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2025
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Montessori was passionate about education from a young age.Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Shahana Goswami plays the lead role of a widow who lands the job of a cop due to life’s cruel twists.Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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In a cruel irony, revelers had gathered to welcome a new beginning.Matthew Continetti, National Review, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Pepe the King Prawn is a Spanish Muppet with four arms, orange skin and straggly hair; the character is known for being an outrageous flirt, and being offended when people refer to him as a shrimp.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
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In one scene, Walker watches as Choppa flirts with a woman during her own photoshoot.Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The vast majority of females in the book are described with vulgar disrespect by the various characters and the narrator.Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
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There is no excuse and no rationalization for a vulgar, inhumane act that senselessly took a life.David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Offering hot drinks and a lounge with sofas, as well as booths for injections, the Safer Drug Consumption Facility is the first of its kind in Britain and follows similar initiatives in other cities around the world, including New York.Stephen Castle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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Too hot, and Treasury yields might rise; too cold, and fears of an economic slowdown could halt stocks, Goldman Sachs said.Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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After decades of conflict with Beijing over discrimination and suppression of their cultural identity, the Chinese government launched a brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs that some Western governments deem a genocide.Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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The elites got out of positions quickly, while retail investors were left twiddling their thumbs and absorbing brutal losses.Trent Hoerr, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Joining Thomas’s ensuing battle to save his wife from the lustful Orlok’s trance is Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe).David Sims, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
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The British actor finds the humor and sensitivity in his lustful swain, and his mellifluous voice is perfectly matched to Shakespeare’s prose.Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Wanton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanton. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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