Meaning & use

obscene

adjective·Academic

Offensive to accepted standards of decency, especially regarding sex or nudity, or shockingly excessive.

See it in a sentence

The film was banned in several countries for its obscene, explicit content.

Critics called the executive's bonus obscene while ordinary workers' wages stayed flat.

A note on using this word

Beyond sexual content, "obscene" is often used figuratively for something excessive to the point of moral offense, like an "obscene profit."

Words with a similar meaning

indecentvulgarlewd

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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