1
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
that novel was once regarded as a wanton tale of forbidden love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
in earlier times, novelists usually portrayed wanton women as coming to a bad end
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3
as in cruel
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a wanton attack on unarmed civilians
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wanton
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 30 July 2025
Human rights organizations have also documented the wanton execution of Alawite civilians by fighters aligned with the government.
—Jerome Drevon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2025
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Huger was ultimately charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wanton
Adjective
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday afternoon on behalf of Jennings’ wife Mary Katherine Fountain, accuses East of willful and wanton conduct, battery and consciously causing pain and suffering to Jennings.
—Noun
Parents and teachers concerned about wanton immigration raids and their effect on kids.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanton
Adjective
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Indonesia, with the world’s biggest Muslim population, has strict rules that ban the sharing online of content deemed obscene.—
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Sylvie's storylines are ridiculous, her wardrobe obscene, her audacity unparalleled.—
Adjective
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Kepner is passionate about accountability and service journalism and encourages anyone to reach out to her to tell their story or share a tip.—
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Most importantly of all, the goal of an actor is to share it, have people see it and have strong, passionate feelings about it — good and sometimes bad.—
Adjective
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The forest had taught him that city dwellers could often be regulated by cruel and rather unpredictable codes.—
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That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.—
Noun
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The protagonist of A Love Story is a lover boy, a libertine, a gossip, a flirt.—
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Karen was a drunk; Stacey seems to have a reputation for being a liar and a flirt, as Charrisse came onscreen to corroborate.—
Adjective
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Although the Ripken card launched many conspiracy theories as to whether the inclusion of its vulgar phrase was truly a mistake or a Fleer marketing ploy, there is a long history of errors making it through quality control in sports card production.—
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The joke swap during last year's Christmas episode went to some particularly jaw-dropping places after Che made Jost read a vulgar joke about Johansson.—
Adjective
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The layered neckline, with the bust peeking out from behind, imitates this season's hottest red carpet trend, the semi-visible bra.—
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The cameras were on and the mic was hot when Johnson rallied his team in the locker room following a 31-27 comeback victory.—
Adjective
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Between wading or boating into choppy surf, baking in the hot sun, and getting doused in salty spray, the elements are brutal on the human body and the gear meant to withstand them.—
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Phạm Lockwood also spoke with Huan Nguyen, the sole survivor of a massacre of a South Vietnamese family in Saigon, a brutal attack allegedly orchestrated by Capt.—
Adjective
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Until then, the only limits on their selections were Vimeo’s standard terms of service, which prohibit content that incites violence or qualifies as pornographic.—
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Under a new law, Florida began requiring age verification checks for visitors to pornographic websites, notes Paul Bischoff, editor of Comparitech, a site that reviews personal cybersecurity software.—
Cite this Entry
“Wanton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanton. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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