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

And as Maruša pushes back her departure again and again, Alja’s behavior becomes more erratic — dark and deeply sad revelations that Menart tempers with a delicately irreverent sense of humor. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026

Jack in the Box has some of the same ingredients — an irreverent brand voice, a broad menu and a willingness to experiment — but needs to turn them into a more coherent proposition. — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Both Strong, who played the bad boy with a heart of gold Shawn Hunter, and Friedle, who played the irreverent Eric Matthews across the entire Boy Meets World season run, ended up appearing on Girl Meets World. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 14 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

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