cardinal sin

noun

: a very bad or serious sin in Christianity

—often used figuratively or humorously

Giving false information is a cardinal sin in news reporting.

He committed the cardinal sin of criticizing his boss.

Examples of cardinal sin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If upstaging the bride is a cardinal sin of wedding etiquette, one guest from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's nuptials might have some explaining to do. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 6 July 2026

But that doesn’t mean that artificially sugared sodas, retail consumption, or social media are depraved, worthless activities akin to the cardinal sin of sloth or the tragic spiral of heroin addiction. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026

That's a cardinal sin in this league. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026

There are any number of things the school could do to support his recovery — honoring his scholarship, setting him up with the best doctors and counselors — that do not include letting a guy who violated the cardinal sin of sports be their starting quarterback. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 11 June 2026

Rhymes for cardinal sin

• asparagine
• akin
• auxin
• buckskin
• chagrin
• crankpin
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• kingpin
• linchpin