- offensive to standards of decency, esp in sexual matters
- unseemly or improper (esp in the phrase indecent haste)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•de•cent /ɪnˈdisənt/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- not decent;
offending standards of what is right or proper, esp. in matters dealing with sex:indecent language. - lacking common decency;
in bad taste:After the funeral he tried with indecent haste to get the inheritance money.
in•de•cent
(in dē′sənt),USA pronunciation adj.
in•de′cent•ly, adv.
- offending against generally accepted standards of propriety or good taste;
improper;
vulgar:indecent jokes;indecent language;indecent behavior. - not decent;
unbecoming or unseemly:indecent haste.
- Latin indecent- (stem of indecēns) unseemly. See in-3, decent
- 1555–65
- 1. distasteful, immodest, indecorous, indelicate; coarse, outrageous, rude, gross; obscene, filthy, lewd, licentious. See improper. 2. inappropriate.
- 2. appropriate; becoming.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
indecent /ɪnˈdiːsənt/ adj
'indecent' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
blue
- bone
- bowdlerize
- broad
- catch
- decent
- dirt
- exposure
- fig leaf
- immodest
- indecency
- indecent assault
- indecent exposure
- nasty
- naughty
- off colour
- racy
- ripe
- scabrous
- smut
- suggestive
- unsayable
- barnyard
- barnyardism
- bawdy
- gross
- improper
- indecorous
- ithyphallic
- lewd
- molest
- obscene
- rank
- ribald
- risqué
- vulgar
- salacious
- shame
- shameless
- smutty