indecent
Americanadjective
-
offending against generally accepted standards of propriety or good taste; improper; vulgar.
indecent jokes; indecent language; indecent behavior.
- Synonyms:
- licentious, lewd, filthy, obscene, gross, rude, outrageous, coarse, indelicate, indecorous, immodest, distasteful
-
not decent; unbecoming or unseemly.
indecent haste.
- Synonyms:
- inappropriate
- Antonyms:
- becoming, appropriate
adjective
-
offensive to standards of decency, esp in sexual matters
-
unseemly or improper (esp in the phrase indecent haste )
Related Words
See improper.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indecent
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin indecent- (stem of indecēns ) “unseemly.” See in- 3, decent
Explanation
Things that are indecent are obscene, indelicate, or offensive in some way. If you run around the mall naked, you’ll get in trouble for indecent exposure! Indecent describes things that are not decent — the prefix -in often means “not,” like how independent means “not dependent.” Decent things are morally sound, so indecent things are offensive. Swearing is considered indecent. Indecent often means rude. A joke might go over well with your friends but is considered indecent when told to a teacher. Not everyone will agree on what’s indecent, but we all agree that you should keep your clothes on at the mall.
Vocabulary lists containing indecent
"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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The Odyssey
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prison drama Brubaker was a commercial and critical success, and there was a positive reception for popular dramas The Horse Whisperer and Indecent Proposal.
From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025
A news release from the museum said the gift follows Waters’ close collaboration with the museum, which includes its major retrospective, John Waters: Indecent Exposure, which opened at the BMA in fall 2018.
From Washington Times • Nov. 12, 2020
After the success of "A Few Good Men," Moore was cast in director Adrian Lyne's film "Indecent Proposal" alongside Woody Harrelson and Robert Redford.
From Fox News • Sep. 27, 2019
Moore was one of the most successful actresses of the 1990s thanks to starring roles in films including Ghost, A Few Good Men and Indecent Proposal.
From The Guardian • Sep. 24, 2019
“Break up, not bust up. Indecent, not undecent,” Claudia corrected.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
