wantonness

noun

Definition of wantonnessnext
1
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others the barbaric wantonness with which the guards treated the prisoners of war

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grossness
the quality or state of being obscene novels characterized chiefly by their sheer wantonness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 wantonness Grace’s playfully feral wantonness is funny and bewitching, but her schtick loses its luster for Jackson, who takes a job that keeps him away from home, leaving her with the baby. — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wantonness
  1. cruelty
  2. grossness
  3. brutality
  4. vulgarity
  5. suggestiveness
  6. lasciviousness
  7. lewdness
  8. coarseness
Noun
  • Ted Gualtier, owner of Happy Tail Happy Dog, LLC, has been charged by Denver authorities with one count of cruelty to animals.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Many abolitionists and Quakers – who fought to ban slavery – initially supported the colonization society’s removal efforts as a means for helping Black residents escape the cruelty of American laws, especially the Fugitive Slave Acts.
    — Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruelty
Noun
  • But Paddy’s isn’t Sudz, and the Gang’s efforts to soft-pedal their antics to be more in line with those mainstream bars devolved into typical Sunny-style hostility and off-putting grossness.
    — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.
    — Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Definition of grossness
Noun
  • The case got widespread attention because of the brutality of the killing, the ages of the people involved and because a satanic symbol was carved into the victim’s body.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • That reporting revealed that the state frequently seizes money from legal settlements stemming from medical malpractice, police brutality, workplace injury and other wrongful death lawsuits.
    — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of brutality
Noun
  • The diaries—particularly in Julian Sachs’s unexpurgated version, which captures Pavese’s alternating earnestness, archness, and pungent vulgarity—pose something of a problem.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Community outrage about the image, along with online posts calling the mayor a host of vulgarities, spilled into a recent council meeting and is inflaming political divisions within College Park.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of vulgarity
Noun
  • The Averys also lack the deep, metaphysical suggestiveness of the Gottliebs.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The bucket quickly went viral for its not-safe-for-work suggestiveness.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of suggestiveness
Noun
  • Marie is disciplined and principled, while her rebellious daughter prides herself on breaking the rules and reveling in lasciviousness.
    — Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 30 Dec. 2025
Definition of lasciviousness
Noun
  • Kelley pleaded guilty to both the remaining charges of public lewdness and obstructing government operations, according to local news outlet WSFA.
    — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The writing, by Estelle Hoy and Justine Gelfman, was sassy and sharp, and the narrative exuded a whimsical lewdness that cut against the production’s overall slapstick sensibility.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of lewdness
Noun
  • Most denim blends using hemp only include 20 or 30 percent of the fiber due to its coarseness.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • But many seemingly urbane texts also benefited from the intellectual and moral coarseness of their times.
    — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Definition of coarseness

Browse Nearby Words

wantonly
wantonness
wantons
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Cite this Entry

“Wantonness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wantonness. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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