1
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
a rap song that is filled with profanities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in vulgarity
the quality or state of being obscene
once notorious for its profanity, that 1950s best seller will strike today's readers as lamentably tame
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profanity
Glenn Close censored for using profanity during live Golden Globes broadcast
One of those losses came in the Best Actress category, where Demi Moore triumphed over Anora's Madison, whom many predicted would win the award.
—
EW.com, 6 Jan. 2025
There was a funny moment when ESPN 1320’s James Ham told Christie he would be fined for using profanity.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 31 Dec. 2024
Context: Vargas and other supervisors have faced escalating threats and profanity from public commenters at board meetings, prompting them to consider changes to public meeting rules.
—Andrew Keatts, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
Officially solidified as a white-hot team, Disney took notice (despite the profanity).
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for profanity 
EW.com, 6 Jan. 2025
There was a funny moment when ESPN 1320’s James Ham told Christie he would be fined for using profanity.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 31 Dec. 2024
Context: Vargas and other supervisors have faced escalating threats and profanity from public commenters at board meetings, prompting them to consider changes to public meeting rules.
—Andrew Keatts, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
Officially solidified as a white-hot team, Disney took notice (despite the profanity).
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for profanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profanity
Noun
-
The verdict: Its flavor was nothing short of despicably vile, which made Orly’s nail-biting polish both a gift and a curse along my journey to end my bad habit.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The long-standing curse of the new-music concert is a tendency toward miscellany.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Even those Republicans who are wary of his volatile leadership style, penchant for vulgarity and willingness to violate conservative orthodoxies are generally reluctant to air those criticisms publicly.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
21 Dec. 2024
-
Corbet’s awkward forcing of his characters into his conceptual framework leads to absurdities and vulgarities—not least in the depiction of László’s first and only Black acquaintance, a laborer named Gordon (Isaach De Bankolé), as a heroin addict.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
According to Quartz, those incidents included the airline removing a passenger for wearing a crop top and another wearing clothing with explicit language.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Frank’s book, translated into more than 70 languages with over 30 million copies sold so far, reads like a nonfiction play at times.—
David G. Allan,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The station asked the band not to include the swears.—
Kris Holt,
Forbes,
2 Dec. 2024
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There’s a heavy focus on Asia’s first One&Only spa, featuring a green caviar body exfoliation and an Augustinus Bader facial celebs swear by.—
Katie Lockhart,
Robb Report,
11 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Back in the 1920s, several residents of the seaside town of Littlehampton in England began receiving poison pen letters rife with obscenities and false rumors.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
23 Dec. 2024
-
In short: Your former co-worker needs to cut this [obscenity redacted] out.—
Anna Holmes,
New York Times,
24 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Peppiatt’s Irish-language film, riddled with expletives, hallucinogenics and baton twirling mischief, swept up at the British Independent Film Awards in December and on Wednesday, scored six BAFTA nods, including for best British film and outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Jan. 2025
-
During an initial court appearance Monday, Lever used an expletive to describe the district judge overseeing his case, NBC affiliate WITN of Greenville reported.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC News,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.—
Virginia Konchan,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2024
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My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.—
Jim Meddleton,
The Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2024
Noun
-
As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
-
The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Thesaurus Entries Near profanity
Cite this Entry
“Profanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profanity. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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