obscene

adjective

ob·​scene äb-ˈsēn 

əb-

1

: disgusting to the senses : repulsive

2

a

: abhorrent to morality or virtue

specifically : relating to sex in an indecent or offensive way : designed to incite to lust or depravity

a book filled with obscene pictures

… the dance often becomes flagrantly obscene and definitely provocative …

—Margaret Mead

b

: containing or being language regarded as taboo in polite usage

obscene lyrics

obscene literature

c

: repulsive by reason of crass disregard of moral or ethical principles

an obscene misuse of power

d

: so excessive as to be offensive

obscene wealth

obscene waste

obscenely adverb

Synonyms of obscene

• pornographic
• vulgar
• foul
• nasty
• filthy
• gross
• dirty

Choose the Right Synonym for obscene

coarse, vulgar, gross, obscene, ribald mean offensive to good taste or morals.

coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

a loud vulgar belch

gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

gross eating habits

obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

obscene language not allowed on the air

ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

Examples of obscene in a Sentence

He was accused of making obscene phone calls.

He made an obscene gesture at the driver who cut him off.

The company's executives earn obscene salaries.

He spends an obscene amount of money on clothes.

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, the ruling recognized that the government’s need to protect national security might require it to prevent publication of the number and location of troops and that the primary requirements of decency might require censorship of obscene publications. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026

Bounds said this gives the mayor the power to intervene when a member of the public engages in obscene speech or in speech intended to incite others in the room. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026

Pamela Martin, 44, and her boyfriend Christopher O’Kane, 41, both pleaded guilty in March to three counts of making an indecent image of a child, two counts of distributing an indecent image of a child, possession of an extreme pornographic image and publishing an obscene article. —Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026

The incident was captured on the broadcast, and after the game, Duran explained that his obscene gesture was in response to a fan crossing the line. —Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, "offensively indecent," borrowed from Latin obscēnus, obscaenus "ill-omened, unpropitious, evoking disgust, loathsome, indecent, lewd," of uncertain origin

Note: M. de Vaan (Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Brill, 2008), following a suggestion by Ernout and Meillet, connects obscaenus (if this was the earliest form) with scaevus "left, on the left-hand side, inauspicious," and proposes an original *ob-skai-no- "coming from the left, unpropitious," from Indo-European *skeh₂i- "in shadow."

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for obscene

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

obscene

adjective

ob·​scene äb-ˈsēn 

əb-

1

: repulsive, disgusting

2

: very shocking to one's sense of what is moral or decent

obscenely adverb

Legal Definition

obscene

adjective

ob·​scene äb-ˈsēn 

: extremely or deeply offensive according to contemporary community standards of morality or decency see also Roth v. United States

Note: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that obscene applies to materials that appeal predominantly to a prurient interest in sexual conduct, depict or describe sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Material or expression deemed obscene by the court is not protected by the free speech guarantee of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin obscenus, obscaenus indecent, lewd