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
The shooting happened around 7 p.m., when officers were called to the 300 block of Oyster Point Boulevard for a report of a man who was yelling obscenities and trying to use a metal object to force his way into a public restroom, the South San Francisco Police Department said in a statement.
—
Jason Green, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
The legislation would revise the obscenity standard that authorities have used since the Supreme Court's 1973 Miller vs. California decision, which critics say is outdated and difficult to enforce, especially in the digital age.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
And while producers could appeal the board’s obscenity rulings, most did not.
—Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2025
Skinner’s name was becoming a kind of obscenity in certain pockets of the terraces.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Jason Green, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
The legislation would revise the obscenity standard that authorities have used since the Supreme Court's 1973 Miller vs. California decision, which critics say is outdated and difficult to enforce, especially in the digital age.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
And while producers could appeal the board’s obscenity rulings, most did not.
—Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2025
Skinner’s name was becoming a kind of obscenity in certain pockets of the terraces.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscenity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscenity
Noun
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During the presentation by PMM Chesterton, which wants to redevelop the golf course, Kowalski used a vulgarity to describe how the houses would be too close to each other.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
-
The fans in Section 204, directly beyond where a right fielder stands, eschewed artistry for straight-up vulgarity.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Christopher Walken stars as a school teacher who comes out of a coma with a gift that feels more like a terrifying curse.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
-
While Rory McIlroy finally broke his 11-year curse to claim the green jacket, Bradley struggled, missing the cut with a 3-over-par.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
The word was forbidden in their household and treated like a swear.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Is this the kind of situation where mild swears seem generally used?—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was fined $50,000 Wednesday by the NBA for using profanity during his postgame news conference on Tuesday.—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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According to one current and three former employees, management began reviewing all store materials after receiving a complaint from a customer against profanity on a greeting card.—
Dakota Parks,
NBC news,
5 May 2025
Noun
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With technical innovation and a brand defining visual language that dates back 102 years, TIME Studios aims to impact communities and the world at large with ideas that forge true progress.—
TIME PR,
Time,
27 May 2025
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This platform uses rigorous standardization protocols, like OMB guidelines for demographics and ISO codes for language, ensuring consistency.—
Raghvendra Tripathi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
-
The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
-
The story centers on political prisoner Valentín (Diego Luna) who shares a cell with Molina (Tonatiuh), a window dresser convicted of public indecency.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
5 June 2025
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Lopez plays Ingrid Luna/the Spider Woman, a fictional silver screen diva who brings dazzling technicolor into the bleak life of prisoner Molina (Tonatiuh), a window dresser convicted of public indecency.—
Mekishana Pierre Updated,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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In a post on the X account of Pirate Radio, 92.7 Greenville The Voice of The Pirate Nation, O’Sullivan is shown on video using more than a dozen expletives in the span of 47 seconds.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 June 2025
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Video of the performance shows Morello appearing in front of a backdrop featuring a collage of expletives and images of Trump.—
Judy Kurtz,
The Hill,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscenity. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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