| English Dictionary |
OBSCENE
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| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does obscene mean?
• OBSCENE (adjective)
The adjective OBSCENE has 3 senses:
1. designed to incite to indecency or lust
2. offensive to the mind
3. suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
Familiarity information: OBSCENE used as an adjective is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Designed to incite to indecency or lust
Context example:
the dance often becomes flagrantly obscene
Similar:
indecent (offensive to good taste especially in sexual matters)
Derivation:
obscenity (the trait of behaving in an obscene manner)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Offensive to the mind
Synonyms:
abhorrent; detestable; obscene; repugnant; repulsive
Context example:
the most repulsive character in recent novels
Similar:
offensive (unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses)
Derivation:
obscenity (an obscene act)
obscenity (an offensive or indecent word or phrase)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
Synonyms:
lewd; obscene; raunchy; salacious
Context example:
salacious limericks
Similar:
dirty ((of behavior or especially language) characterized by obscenity or indecency)
Derivation:
obscenity (the trait of behaving in an obscene manner)
Context examples
"Read it yourself and show me whatever strikes you as obscene—that was the word, wasn't it?"
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
An' when you said you'd report me for usin' of obscene language that was 'ittin' me over the 'ead; but the 'arf-quid made that all right.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
From this crawling flapping mass of obscene reptilian life came the shocking clamor which filled the air and the mephitic, horrible, musty odor which turned us sick.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
When Mackintosh's Magazine published "The Palmist," featuring it with decorations by Berthier and with two pictures by Wenn, Hermann von Schmidt forgot that he had called the verses obscene.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
They lost their tempers easily and called one another names, while oaths and obscene allusions were frequent on their lips.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
"He says it was indecent, ob—obscene."
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
The answer to this was unexpected. It came from Myrtle who had overheard the question and it was violent and obscene.
(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
On the white steps an obscene word, scrawled by some boy with a piece of brick, stood out clearly in the moonlight and I erased it, drawing my shoe raspingly along the stone.
(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
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