obscene

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əbˈsin/ UK /əbˈsiːn/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of decency

The book was banned for its supposedly obscene content.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · offensive or disgusting by... indecent lewd filthy vulgar lascivious pornographic gross

Opposites

decent wholesome modest seemly chaste

Word family

Derived forms obscenelyobscenity

Etymology

From Latin obscenus ('offensive, ill-omened, repulsive'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from ob- plus caenum ('filth').

obscenus Latin

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Topics

Describing Qualities

# obscene

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** əbˈsin
**IPA (UK):** əbˈsiːn

## Meanings
1. offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of decency

## Examples
- The book was banned for its supposedly obscene content.

## Synonyms
- indecent
- lewd
- filthy
- vulgar
- lascivious
- pornographic
- gross

## Antonyms
- decent
- wholesome
- modest
- seemly
- chaste

## Derived Forms
- obscenely
- obscenity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: obscenus

## Etymology
From Latin obscenus ('offensive, ill-omened, repulsive'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from ob- plus caenum ('filth').

## AI Etymology
Obscene comes from Latin obscenus ('offensive, ill-omened, repulsive'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from ob- plus caenum ('filth'). The historical trail runs through Latin obscenus. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of decency. Derived formations include obscenely, obscenity.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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obscene

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