as in blasphemy
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
the unspeakable impiety of spitting in a church
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impiety
By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.
—
Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Clouzot supplied that insight in strong visual terms: Fresnay’s conflicting impiety and righteous anger and so much dissatisfaction and panic among the townsfolk.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
If Socrates were still around (Letters, Nov. 3), he wouldn’t be canceled for impiety and corrupting the youth.
—Stephen Borkowski, WSJ, 7 Nov. 2023
Asclepius was a gifted healer, too gifted perhaps, and he was killed by Zeus for the impiety of raising the dead.
—Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Clouzot supplied that insight in strong visual terms: Fresnay’s conflicting impiety and righteous anger and so much dissatisfaction and panic among the townsfolk.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
If Socrates were still around (Letters, Nov. 3), he wouldn’t be canceled for impiety and corrupting the youth.
—Stephen Borkowski, WSJ, 7 Nov. 2023
Asclepius was a gifted healer, too gifted perhaps, and he was killed by Zeus for the impiety of raising the dead.
—Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impiety
Noun
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Yes, all this is whimsical blasphemy.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
14 Sep. 2025
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Many societies in the past have linked swearing to blasphemy or sin.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For years, Apple treated the idea of windows on the iPad as sacrilege.—
Craig Grannell,
Wired News,
16 Aug. 2025
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And still, Wankdorf Stadium heaved with Portuguese song, as if any other noise outside of a goal celebration might border on sacrilege.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
Noun
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No violations of Polish airspace were reported.—
Emma Marsden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
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Portland sent a notice to the building’s private owners last week, saying ICE has committed code violations by boarding up windows and keeping some detainees in the holding facility for longer than 12 hours.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In 2019, the 37-year-old Bukele ran for president as a populist outsider promising to defeat crime and corruption in a nation with one of the world’s worst homicide rates and a history of former presidents being charged with crimes.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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Milei has had more success taming Argentina’s hyperinflation than first expected, but has been dealing with a brewing currency crisis and several corruption scandals.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Years before, many conservatives—including myself—spoke out against grievance studies, the 1619 Project, the desecration of the curriculum.—
Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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His wife Sherrie Parker, 41, and their son, Deshawn Thomas, 22, are charged with desecration of human remains and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence, according to officials.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Running offstage, costumes disheveled, strategizing, cursing.—
Lauren Rothery,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Steve heads up a reform school for volatile, cursing and rabble-rousing English boys, and his mental health is tested when a documentary crew shows up and word gets out the school is closing.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.—
John Edgar Wideman,
The New Yorker,
8 July 2021
Noun
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Shows with women protagonists and nuanced explorations of their personal and professional lives reflect her wit, irreverence, and commitment to social justice.—
Time,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
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Corso’s energetic blend of irreverence and showmanship broke the mold among college football commentators.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impiety. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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