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profane

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verb

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as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 profane
Adjective
Millions of fanboys went nuts over Reynolds’ outrageously profane Merc With a Mouth. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024 Listen to this article San Diego police detectives are investigating after parishioners at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral arrived for services Sunday morning to find profane language spraypainted on the church’s walls and doors. Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
Her husband, the exuberant and often profane former Dodgers manager who won two World Series championships, died Jan. 7 at 93. Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021 The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic. Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020 See All Example Sentences for profane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profane
Adjective
  • By effectively transferring knowledge from freely available visual and language data, Magma bridges verbal, spatial, and temporal intelligence to navigate complex tasks and settings.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 20 Feb. 2025
  • His work as a filmmaker includes Animal Room with Neil Patrick Harris, Perkins 14, Dark Ride, A Good Night to Die which premiered at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival and the 2021 temporal horror film 6:45.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The truth about our involvement in Ukraine to oppose Russia is obscene.
    Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2025
  • The amount of cash being tossed around is obscene, and that’s part of what makes the show guiltily watchable.
    James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • It has been corrupted over time into something like a generalized celebration of Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and the other 43 highly varied men who preceded them in holding the nation’s highest office.
    The Editors, National Review, 17 Feb. 2025
  • If green ever corrupted itself with red, both would end up the same brown mud.
    Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Recalls are costly, disruptive and often misused as political weapons.
    Kam Buckner, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
  • The executive order on Monday declared that the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a law intended to fight corruption among U.S. multinational companies, had been misused to the detriment of American business and the presidency itself.
    Devlin Barrett, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Revisiting cases against crypto firms — especially those which violated the SEC's rules but were not alleged to have defrauded investors — has been broadly anticipated.
    Hannah Lang, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Social-media companies that violate the law could face penalties up to $50,000 per violation.
    Dara Kam, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The rock opera is a secular take on the final days of Jesus, and is written as a somewhat provocative, subversive story, but does not outright mock the teachings of Christianity.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
  • In the film, Seeger is portrayed as a secular saint — serene and good humored, the troubadour as social justice warrior.
    Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • However, these arrangements were not mere shakedowns; they were anchored in strategic diplomacy and geopolitical calculus, rather than vulgar profiteering.
    Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Her Facebook and email had been flooded with vulgar, inflammatory responses.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The conspiratorial right aims to degrade the state’s ability to collect taxes, conduct diplomacy, prosecute violations of civil rights, and otherwise carry out its duties.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
  • In sum, proper use of AI should be encouraged, as opposed to this case where the D grade appeared to degrade its use.
    Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

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