obscene

[uhb-seen]

adjective

1. offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved.

   obscene language.

2. causing uncontrolled sexual desire.

3. abominable; disgusting; repulsive.

obscene

/ əbˈsiːn /

adjective

1. offensive or outrageous to accepted standards of decency or modesty

2. law (of publications) having a tendency to deprave or corrupt

3. disgusting; repellent

   an obscene massacre

Other Word Forms

• obscenely adverb
• obsceneness noun
• unobscene adjective
• unobscenely adverb
• unobsceneness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of obscene¹

First recorded in 1585–95, obscene is from the Latin word obscēnus, obscaenus

Word History and Origins

Origin of obscene¹

C16: from Latin obscēnus inauspicious, perhaps related to caenum filth

Example Sentences

Police have registered a case under various sections of the law, including violating a female patient's privacy, publishing obscene material, voyeurism and cyber terrorism - which is a non-bailable offence.

Read more on BBC

Not the 66% of its golden age, but still obscene by normal standards.

Read more on MarketWatch

Unite's secretary general Sharon Graham said she welcomed help with costs, but the amount saved would be "quite small" with profits in the energy sector "obscene" and in need of an overhaul.

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That’s us all getting together and wanting to laugh about the things that are absurd, obscene, uncomfortable, because we’re all going through it together.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The effort to humanize Dahmer is both obscene and, sadly, textbook.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• bawdy 
• coarse 
• crude 
• disgusting 
• horrible 
• improper 
• lewd 
• nasty 
• outrageous 
• pornographic 
• profane 
• repugnant 
• salacious 
• scatological 
• shocking 
• suggestive