irreverent

adjective

ir·​rev·​er·​ent i-ˈre-v(ə-)rənt 

ˌi(r)-, 

-ˈre-vərnt

: lacking proper respect or seriousness

also : satiric

irreverently adverb

Synonyms of irreverent

• atheistic
• secular
• blasphemous
• sacrilegious
• impious
• profane
• pagan

Examples of irreverent in a Sentence

He has a delightfully irreverent sense of humor.

irreverent behavior during church services

Recent Examples on the Web

The 330-minute work delves into the life of the writer-poet through archives, private collections, rediscovered documents and irreverent narration. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Blichfeld, who has been attending the event for 16 years, noticed the sea change when the city’s irreverent, highly individualized street style began circulating widely across social media. — Kelsey Stewart, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026

The castings, announced by New York City Center today, will see Pierce portraying the put-upon blockhead Charlie Brown and Edebiri as his loyal if irreverent beagle Snoopy. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026

Coming off of the success of Corsage, an irreverent take on the 19th-century costume drama, Marie Kreutzer found that few were even entertaining the pitch for her next movie. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin irreverent-, irreverens, from in- + reverent-, reverens reverent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irreverent

• reverent

Kids Definition

irreverent

adjective

ir·​rev·​er·​ent (ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)ev-(ə-)rənt 

-ərnt

: showing lack of reverence

irreverent joking and giggling in church

irreverence

-ˈ(r)ev-(ə-)rən(t)s, 

-ˈ(r)ev-ərn(t)s

noun

irreverently adverb