1
as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
be careful, because impure motor oil can damage your car's engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vulgar
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
Victorian notions of what qualified as impure art now strike us as laughable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of impure
According to some Buddhist scriptures, during Maya’s pregnancy the future Buddha never actually touched her womb, which was considered impure in early Indian Buddhism.
—
Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 6 May 2025
Farmers or middlemen also frequently adulterated milk, watering it down to stretch supplies—with impure water likely to introduce further pathogens—or adding toxic substances, like formaldehyde or chalk, meant to conceal spoilage or make milk appear whiter.
— Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
What was considered holy at one time was considered impure in other epochs.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
In any case, playing Bach on a concert grand is an inherently impure act; Bach knew of no such instrument.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impure
Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 6 May 2025
Farmers or middlemen also frequently adulterated milk, watering it down to stretch supplies—with impure water likely to introduce further pathogens—or adding toxic substances, like formaldehyde or chalk, meant to conceal spoilage or make milk appear whiter.
— Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
What was considered holy at one time was considered impure in other epochs.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
In any case, playing Bach on a concert grand is an inherently impure act; Bach knew of no such instrument.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impure
Adjective
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Another, paradoxical, factor that could be contributing to this rise is our steadily less polluted atmosphere.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
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The port planned to use it to clean up and remediate polluted areas, build facilities for handling the turbine parts, dredge the waterway and build a larger wharf capable of handling pieces of steel longer than a football field.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The book is filled with vulgar pictures, with many faces blacked out, and messages both handwritten and typed from well-wishers for Epstein’s 50th birthday.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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The biopic is the vulgar but necessary tribute inherently populist cinema pays to more traditional, higher-brow art.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Two children who became ill showed symptoms of a condition that can arise from contaminated water.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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In communities without clean water, families often burn wood to boil contaminated water, contributing to both deforestation and emissions.—
Sivan Yaari,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The couple quickly began receiving death threats and obscene phone calls.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
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Banners or signs may not be commercial in nature or obscene, or cause any disturbance to other fans.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For example, Wilson’s team is exploring whether dilute acids speed up weathering.—
Robert F. Service,
Science | AAAS,
3 Sep. 2020
-
The company reported a net loss during the first quarter of $3.9 million, or 11 cents diluted loss per share, compared to a net income of $4.3 million, or 12 cents dilute earnings per share over the same period last year.—
Paul Takahashi,
Houston Chronicle,
5 June 2018
Adjective
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Being the mother of seven was useful, however, when the court debated in January whether there were workable alternatives to age verification requirements for pornographic websites.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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As of state legislation passed in 2024, creating or distributing non-consensual pornographic deepfakes is a misdemeanor offense in Indiana.—
Jen Guadarrama,
IndyStar,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Moisture absorbed from the air returns as diluted desiccant to storage.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
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Your Way Dry Wash or a diluted shampoo, followed by a blow-dry to prevent mildew.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The cards’ robust stainless-steel construction can withstand extreme handling like drops, foul weather and almost any other element that happens to come along.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Their journey takes a detour when her mom turns out to be a foul-mouthed truck driver, launching the trio into a cross-country odyssey filled with eccentric encounters, outrageous mishaps, and unexpected emotional revelations.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impure. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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