obscene Definition
ob·scene (äb sēn′, əb-)
adjective
- offensive to one's feelings, or to prevailing notions, of modesty or decency; lewd
- disgusting; repulsive
- Law designating or of books, films, etc. which when judged by contemporary community standards, are found to appeal to a prurient interest in sex, be patently offensive, and have no serious artistic, scientific, or social value
Etymology: Fr obscène < L obscenus, obscaenus < obs-, var. of ob- (see ob-) + caenum, filth < IE *weino- < base *kwei-, muck, filth > ON hvein, swampy land
obscene Related Forms
ob·scene′ly adverb
obscene Synonyms
obscene
modif.
obscene Law Definition
adj
Exceptionally repugnant to the contemporary standards
of decency and morality within the community; grossly obnoxious to the notions
of acceptable behavior.
obscene Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- gesture: Wasn't sure whether other rider was waving or making an obscene gesture.
- graffito: Graffiti We will remove racist or obscene graffiti by the end of the next working day.
- caller: In this case, if the obscene caller forwarded calls to your phone, the return would end up there.
- inequality: Instead, the expansion of trade has fuelled the widening of obscene inequalities.
- amount: With the obscene amounts of money you must be making now surely you can have both?
- joke: An actor playing a stand-up comedian suffering from insecurity problems tells a series of increasingly obscene jokes.
Modifying Another Word
- downright: Yes, it's clunky, silly and often downright obscene.
- almost: Rover tried to generate almost obscene levels of profit from the City.
- truly: And this morning it is giving itself a massive pat on the back with a truly obscene bit of self-promotion.
- sometimes: Such mail usually advertises get-rich-quick schemes, ' health ' products, or websites, sometimes obscene.
- too: Charlie, Peanuts and a several others which are far too obscene for publication.
- not: Indeed, a leading QC gave his opinion that the film was not obscene.
Used with adjective complement
- seem: It seemed obscene a private entity could profit off the imprisonment of fellow citizens.
- consider: Of course this then means that Customs don't receive much feedback on what is considered obscene.
- find: Given the critical reputation that the film enjoyed, he therefore concluded that it was highly unlikely to be found obscene by a jury.
- deem: Deemed obscene by the Vatican and banned by the BBC, it became the first foreign-language song to reach number one.
- contain: Do not visit sites or download files containing obscene, pornographic, discriminatory or otherwise offensive material.
- become: Religion has become obscene, or perhaps we should say medical.
Browse dictionary entries near obscene
- ‹ obs
- ‹ OBRA 93
- ‹ obovoid
- ‹ obovate
- ‹ obolus
- ‹ oboe
- ‹ obnubilate
- ‹ obnoxiously
- ‹ obnoxious
- ‹ obloquy
- obscene material ›
- obscenely ›
- obscenity ›
- obscurant ›
- obscurantism ›
- obscuration ›
- obscure ›
- obscurely ›
- obscurity ›
- obsecrate ›

