Definition of "obscene" []

• Offensive to accepted standards of decency or modesty. (adjective)
• Inciting lustful feelings; lewd. (adjective)
• Repulsive; disgusting: "The way he writes about the disease that killed her is simply obscene” ( Michael Korda). (adjective)
• So large in amount as to be objectionable or outrageous: "local merchants in nearby stores get hammered by stratospheric rents and obscene taxes” ( Joe Queenan). (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "And just months later, a Chinese official accused the tech giant of spreading what he called obscene content via the Internet."
• "Obama also said his determination is heightened by reports of massive bank profits and what he called obscene bonuses."
• "In its final form, this criminal statute prohibited trafficking in "obscene" materials related to sex or reproduction, and forbade the "use of any drug, medicine, article, or instrument for the purpose of preventing conception.""