profane

1 of 2

verb

pro·fane prō-ˈfān

prə-

profaned; profaning

Synonyms of profane next

transitive verb

: to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt : desecrate

: to debase by a wrong, unworthy, or vulgar use

profaner noun

profane

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adjective

: not concerned with religion or religious purposes : secular

: not holy because unconsecrated, impure, or defiled : unsanctified

: serving to debase or defile what is holy : irreverent

: obscene, vulgar

: not being among the initiated

: not possessing esoteric or expert knowledge

profanely adverb

profaneness

prō-ˈfān-nəs

prə-

noun

Example Sentences

Verb the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies Adjective it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

If Bartolo was against type, then so is Messina's turn as ruthless sports agent David Falk, who profanes his way through protecting his star client, Michael Jordan, when Nike courts the rising basketball star with his own line of shoes, the Air Jordans. —

Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2023 At the risk of profaning a wonderful show, the second season is even better. —

John Anderson, wsj.com, 4 Apr. 2023 Sean Delahanty, who was colorful, outspoken and sometimes profane in 20 years on Jefferson District Court, has died. —

Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 28 Jan. 2023 Her husband, the exuberant and often profane former Dodgers manager who won two World Series championships, died Jan. 7 at 93. —

Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021 The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic. —

Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020 The following day, Pope Francis spoke out against violence toward women during his New Year’s Day homily in St. Peter’s Basilica, equating it to profaning God, according to the Associated Press. —

Josiah Bates, Time, 1 Jan. 2020 By targeting a house of worship, rather than a private home or business, the attacker has committed a powerful symbolic transgression: profaning a space that is both sacred and communal. —

Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, 27 Oct. 2018 There’s a way certain things—death, extreme poverty—are deemed so tragic that they cannot be profaned, they can only be spoken of reverently or seriously. —

Joe Fassler, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2017

Adjective

In the nooks and crannies of the building’s perimeter are heaps of trash, desperate and profane messages graffitied in marker on the walls, mounds of excrement. —

Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Apr. 2023 Current television offers few characters as essentially novelistic as the show’s central patriarch, played by Brian Cox—whose most memorable previous work includes a voluble, profane turn as none other than Robert McKee. —

Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2023 Armstrong, who was well-known for blogging under the handle Dooce, was frank, funny, and often extremely profane. —

Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2023 Radio performers like Don Imus and Howard Stern found that audiences would tune in to hear profane behavior and would return daily to see just how far the performers would go. —

Matthew Jordan, Fortune, 2 May 2023 The San Francisco 49ers’ defensive line coach is probably at his most profane during position drills early in practice. —

Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 May 2023 Seductively kittenish, Gardner lives up to her profane reputation. —

Charles Mcnulty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023 The latter features Shaw, who matches the famously profane Williamson vulgarity for vulgarity in her alternating verses. —

Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2023 But one of its most iconic sounds was added in post-production: the 1000 hertz censor bleep, which became more prevalent as the behavior on the show grew more profane. —

Matthew Jordan, Fortune, 2 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'profane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.