obscene
Americanadjective
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offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved.
obscene language.
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causing uncontrolled sexual desire.
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abominable; disgusting; repulsive.
adjective
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offensive or outrageous to accepted standards of decency or modesty
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law (of publications) having a tendency to deprave or corrupt
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disgusting; repellent
an obscene massacre
Other Word Forms
- obscenely adverb
- obsceneness noun
- unobscene adjective
- unobscenely adverb
- unobsceneness noun
Etymology
Origin of obscene
First recorded in 1585–95, obscene is from the Latin word obscēnus, obscaenus
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.
But the Shah was a problematic figure, obscene in his displays of wealth and ruthless in his suppression of dissent.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
One of Britain's biggest unions, Unite, has called the weapons maker's £2.6bn annual profit "obscene" and warned strikes would continue until a better pay offer is made.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
The white metal “just rose an obscene amount, percentagewise, over the past 12 months,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 2, 2026
"What is happening in our country is just obscene," says Portman at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, where she is promoting her film "The Gallerist."
From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026
It's wrapped with an obscene amount of Scotch tape.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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.
