indecent

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈdē-sᵊnt How to pronounce indecent (audio)
Definition of indecentnext
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society paintings of nude figures are artistic, not indecent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of indecent There is something almost indecent about connecting personal opportunity to a day of such extraordinary grief and trauma. — Ayman M. Mohyeldin, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026 The additional charges filed against Andrew Tate last month include seven counts of rape, 15 counts of making/distributing indecent images of children and four counts of possession of extreme pornography. — Juliette Arcodia, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026 But Langham’s reputation soured in late 2006 when he was charged with 15 counts of downloading indecent images of children. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026 Taylor is charged with felony indecent liberties with a student by school guardian, officials said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for indecent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indecent
  1. obscene
  2. pornographic
  3. vulgar
  4. foul
  5. nasty
Adjective
  • Another bemoaned the amount of money spent on Marsh’s NIL deal, using similar obscene language.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The disingenuous campaign ads, the obscene amount of money that is spent to air them and the promises that are rarely fulfilled are enough to make one cynical.
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • On the day of the $50 million demand, a WeChat chat on one of her phones shows pornographic images arriving and being sent back with Victim-1’s face grafted on, the complaint says.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The filing follows a separate legal battle launched by Meloni in 2024 against a man accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her likeness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • In her smartly vulgar The Seasons (1957), which extends nearly 17 feet, Krasner returns to the subject of rebirth one year after Pollock’s death, depicting abundant forms resembling genitalia.
    — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • While Musgraves' comments received both praise and backlash, one country music legend took exception to the vulgar remarks.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • The bodies of Machado and her daughters were discovered days later after a neighbor noticed a foul odor coming from the home.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Caminero pulled Smith’s first-pitch splitter off the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer that gave the Rays a 5-1 lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • The polls still show a close-range contest, but in the increasingly nasty ad war, the spending suggests a far more lopsided fight.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Officers then cuffed the youngster as he was loaded into an ambulance and hospitalized for a fractured femur and a nasty bruise on his head, according to the lawsuit, which was filed by the teen’s dad, Mahmoud Saleh, in Brooklyn Federal Court.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of nasty

Browse Nearby Words

indecency
indecent
indecently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Indecent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indecent. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vocation

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All