obscenely

/əbˈsiːnli/ (bre, ipa) · /əbˈsiːnli/ (ame, ipa)

obscenely — adverb

1. Showing or talking about sex so openly and crudely that most listeners or viewer

1.副詞C2
釋義

Showing or talking about sex so openly and crudely that most listeners or viewers feel insulted or shocked.

例句

Two dancers behaved obscenely on stage and were quickly removed by security.

verb + obscenely for shocking sexual behaviour

Tariro felt sick when the drunk passenger started speaking obscenely to the cabin crew.

speak / talk obscenely with a target audience

同義詞
  • indecently

    broad and common; covers sexual rudeness in behaviour, dress, or language

  • lewdly

    stronger and more disapproving; often suggests a deliberately sexual display

  • vulgarly

    wider; can describe crude taste or rough language even without clear sexual content

反義詞
  • decently

    in a way that respects normal standards of sexual behaviour

  • modestly

    in a way that is careful not to show or discuss sex too openly

文法句型

verb + obscenely (dance/gesture/joke)

obscenely + adjective (dressed/explicit)

用法筆記

Used mostly with verbs of speech, gesture, dress, or display where the offence comes from crude sexual content. Distinguish from sense 2: here the issue is sexual rudeness, not extreme degree.

常見錯誤

❌My uncle eats obscenely at every meal.
✅My uncle eats greedily at every meal.
💡this sense is about sexual rudeness, not bad table manners.
❌She spoke obscenely about politics, calling the policy unfair.
✅She spoke harshly about politics, calling the policy unfair.
💡strong political criticism is not 'obscenely' in this sense.

2. To a degree so extreme that it feels unfair or morally shocking, especially when

2.副詞C1
釋義

To a degree so extreme that it feels unfair or morally shocking, especially when describing money, wealth, size, or success.

例句

The tech founder grew obscenely rich while many of his early staff went unpaid.

collocation: obscenely rich for unfair wealth

Tickets for the final match were obscenely expensive for ordinary fans to afford.

obscenely + expensive with moral disapproval

同義詞
  • outrageously

    broad and emotional; can describe behaviour, price, or treatment that seems shocking

  • excessively

    more neutral and factual; states the degree is too much without the same moral force

  • scandalously

    stresses that something offends public decency, often used of money or fame

  • ridiculously

    informal; emphasises absurd degree but with mockery rather than moral anger

反義詞

文法句型

obscenely + adjective (rich/expensive/large/wealthy)

obscenely + adverb (well, much)

用法筆記

Frequently pairs with adjectives like rich, wealthy, expensive, large, high, and successful. The speaker is not just saying 'very' — they are also expressing anger that the degree crosses a fair social limit.

常見錯誤

❌The cake was obscenely delicious.
✅The cake was incredibly delicious.
💡this sense adds moral anger, so it sounds odd for harmless pleasures like food.
❌It rained obscenely hard last night.
✅It rained extremely hard last night.
💡natural events do not usually carry the moral edge that this adverb adds.