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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
in earlier times, novelists usually portrayed wanton women as coming to a bad end
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wanton
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
The practice of slavery continued long after the abolition of the slave trade by France in 1818, with enslavers supported by the state for acts of astonishing, wanton violence.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024
Gabriela Silva, TVLine, 26 Feb. 2025
Among other concerns, the wanton killing of Afghan fighters and civilians was viewed as destroying trust between foreign troops and the civilian population.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Adjective
Spider-Man rescues and moves the pets while avoiding Butane's wanton destruction, before putting him down for the count with the help of a giant fish tank.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
The practice of slavery continued long after the abolition of the slave trade by France in 1818, with enslavers supported by the state for acts of astonishing, wanton violence.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
On March 19, 2024, Huger was charged with a DUI and DWI on the counts of: negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.
—Gabriela Silva, TVLine, 26 Feb. 2025
Among other concerns, the wanton killing of Afghan fighters and civilians was viewed as destroying trust between foreign troops and the civilian population.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanton
Adjective
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Venis’s obscene wealth justifies an unbridled narcissism that reflects our worst fears of tech moguls.—
Andrew Wallenstein,
Variety,
28 May 2025
-
In December 2014, a jury convicted Magnotta of first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a human body, publishing obscene material and mailing obscene and indecent material.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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The wistful cover makes the case for focusing more on the ballad and less on the power, aspect associated with the passionate love song.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
30 May 2025
-
His passionate pursuit of public service, driven by principle and purpose and not self-aggrandizement, was Gerry’s secret sauce.—
Paul Laudicina,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The reason Evin is infamous is because of its terribly cruel high security detention centers that are poorly supervised by the Prison Chief.—
Jeff Kaufman,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
But then perhaps that is her unsatisfying but depressingly undeniable point: there is no challenging minds this small, behaviors this cruel, spirits this mean.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
As gold flirts with all-time highs again, headlines are quick to shout what many family offices already know: when the world trembles, gold glitters.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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In the middle of all this, Alexa and Lino remain pretty steadfast in their commitment to each other (except when Lino occasionally gets the urge to cheat and flirts with Alex, who turns him down every time).—
Charlotte Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The survey examined a minimum of 1,000 comments per team and found less than 1% of posts made by fans of the Dallas Wings contained swear words or vulgar comments.—
Alyssa Cooper,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
-
The program was incredibly close-knit—kids practiced most days of the week, and hung out almost exclusively with their fellow All-Stars, as well as with the vulgar, charismatic teacher who structured their lives.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
3 May 2025
Adjective
-
Cannas like the summer heat and humidity and do just fine without watering except in really hot areas like southern Florida.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 June 2025
-
Nine states have assault weapons bans in place, as gun control has become a hot topic at the Supreme Court.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
As the state on Thursday summed up the brutal details that made up the prosecution’s case, a relative walked out of the courtroom with a loud scream, causing Petrone to tell the jury to ignore the outburst.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
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Here lies the brutal dilemma of change: Leaders see systems; people feel emotions.—
Sahar Andrade,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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The lustful reggaeton-bachata song about a twisted love affair would shock fans upon its release in the spring of 2005.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
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One of my obsessions is the hip-hop love song, and how the exaggerated, theatrical, and lustful nature of the genre makes for some of the realest and funniest depictions of catching feelings.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wanton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanton. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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