1
as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
King Richard I of England was given the very laudatory epithet "the Lion-Hearted"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
the school has a strict ban against the use of offensive epithets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of epithet
The film shows footage of counter-protesters coming onto campus, slinging epithets.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
Shiloh Hendrix, the Minnesota mom filmed repeatedly saying the N-word after being accused of using that epithet to berate a child, has raised more than $750,000 since launching a fundraising campaign one week ago.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
More than a decade after Breaking Bad ended, Aaron Paul still can’t escape his character’s signature epithet.
—John Russell, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
The men pulled Khan and his relatives from the truck and began beating them and shouting anti-Muslim epithets.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
Shiloh Hendrix, the Minnesota mom filmed repeatedly saying the N-word after being accused of using that epithet to berate a child, has raised more than $750,000 since launching a fundraising campaign one week ago.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
More than a decade after Breaking Bad ended, Aaron Paul still can’t escape his character’s signature epithet.
—John Russell, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
The men pulled Khan and his relatives from the truck and began beating them and shouting anti-Muslim epithets.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
Noun
-
One person helped by the nonprofit is Doña Chela, an undocumented 66-year-old woman who asked to be identified by her nickname.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
-
Now, being age 34 means that Dame Time, the nickname for Lillard, has already spent quite a lot of time on the basketball court.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Under it, anyone who defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, heir apparent, or regent faces three to 15 years in prison.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
26 June 2025
-
To suggest that the lawsuit is a look into the past insults understatement, and in the process calls into question the worth of the FTC.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Huang, who asked to be identified only by her surname for fear of being targeted, had seen her original doctoral offer at Vanderbilt University rescinded after federal cuts to research and programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion.—
Sara Braun,
Fortune,
21 June 2025
-
The family has requested that their surname be withheld from publication.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
The latter moniker was lifted from a Catholic high school that had been a local basketball powerhouse.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
21 June 2025
-
True to his moniker, the singer and harmonica player, who performs at noon on June 15, serves up a potent mix of traditional blues and Bollywood music.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
But behind the sarcasm is the uncomfortable truth: today's kids are hyper-aware of how they're perceived.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
9 June 2025
-
Tagging emotional tone or contextual nuance, like sarcasm in reviews or urgency in support tickets, can usefully train models to understand human subtext.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share