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
- indecently adverb
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.
Harker went on to admit sending a communication with an indecent or offensive message.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
Before that, police and prosecutors relied on laws dating back before the development of social media, such as sending indecent or offensive messages.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission also voiced "serious concern" at the weekend over public complaints about the "indecent, grossly offensive" content across X.
From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026
Back home, after the train ride, I washed and dried the mushrooms and sent them sizzling into a pan with shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and an indecent amount of smoked paprika.
From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025
"Don't be indecent, Michael. Remember there are ladies at this bar."
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
