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
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Recent Examples of profanity
The screenplay, which was written by Mamet himself, has been celebrated for its razor-sharp dialogue, which blends profanity, wit and raw emotion in a manner that reminds many critics of Aaron Sorkin—not a bad comparison.
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Travis Bean, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
This week, the three personalities all made separate appearances on morning news programs, and all let slip some pretty major profanities on live TV.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
Over the past decade, Trump’s tenure in the political arena has stirred far more mayhem than a grandma’s profanities and arm-tugging.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
Duterte’s profanities became a trademark of his political persona and some regarded him as Asia’s Trump.
—Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for profanity 
Travis Bean, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
This week, the three personalities all made separate appearances on morning news programs, and all let slip some pretty major profanities on live TV.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
Over the past decade, Trump’s tenure in the political arena has stirred far more mayhem than a grandma’s profanities and arm-tugging.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
Duterte’s profanities became a trademark of his political persona and some regarded him as Asia’s Trump.
—Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for profanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profanity
Noun
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Stubborn independence is, however, a blessing and a curse.Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
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However, this long history can be both a blessing and a curse.Mike Whitmire, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Whatever happened to elegant, elevated and epic language in lieu of vulgarities that flourish in the sewers and gutters of morality?Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2024
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Policy proposals aside, there's been name-calling, vulgarity, and plain old meanness.Jon LaPook, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Use neutral, factual language to ensure the message remains honest and unbiased.Tina Gada, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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Onto the page spilled more than ten thousand lines of the richest and most resourceful blank verse in the English language, arranged into ten books in 1667, then rearranged into twelve in 1674.Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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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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These laws could also face an uphill battle in the courts, including the Supreme Court, which have shot down certain obscenity laws as unconstitutional.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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His speech was larded with obscenity and boastfulness.Mike Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
Noun
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When land grabbers call, Cannon answers with expletives.Denise Hruby, Sun Sentinel, 2 Dec. 2024
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They were met with expletives from several rallygoers.Helen Rummel, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024
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
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.NR Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2020
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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 22 Dec. 2024.
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