PROFANE Synonyms: 317 Similar and Opposite Words

profane 1 of 2

adjective

as in temporal

not involving religion or religious matters it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties

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as in atheistical

not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually

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as in obscene

depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society his idea of dinner table conversation is the telling of profane stories about his alleged sexual exploits

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profane

2 of 2

verb

prō-ˈfān

as in to corrupt

to lower in character, dignity, or quality the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories

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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

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as in to violate

to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it

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Examples of profane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And thanks to Miles’ deep fondness for Pinot Noir and his profane rejection of Merlot, sales of Pinot Noir on the West Coast reportedly increased by 16%, while Merlot dropped 2%. —

Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 The performance, which will undoubtedly be scrutinized and discussed in the awards season, is a blend of tough, profane humor, feral intelligence and cynical calculation, with pathos and heartbreak added in at the end. —

Tom Gliatto, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024

Verb

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 The following day, Pope Francis spoke out against violence toward women during his New Year’s Day homily in St. Peter’s Basilica, equating it to profaning God, according to the Associated Press. —

Josiah Bates, Time, 1 Jan. 2020 See all Example Sentences for profane

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'profane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.