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"
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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
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Examples of epithet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After being drafted in 1943, Davis found the cheers replaced by epithets and blows hurled by white soldiers.
—
Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
The Marine accused of writing racial epithets last April in multiple locations within the campus’ La Plata Hall, 22-year-old Lance Cpl.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024
For his part, Kirk has claimed Pagar spat in his face and spewed a racial epithet, according to TMZ.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2024
The epithet is a reference to an uncle of the Prophet Mohamed who is condemned in the Koran as an enemy of Islam and was known for his fiery temper and reddish complexion.
—Mara R. Revkin, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2016
See all Example Sentences for epithet 
Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
The Marine accused of writing racial epithets last April in multiple locations within the campus’ La Plata Hall, 22-year-old Lance Cpl.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024
For his part, Kirk has claimed Pagar spat in his face and spewed a racial epithet, according to TMZ.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2024
The epithet is a reference to an uncle of the Prophet Mohamed who is condemned in the Koran as an enemy of Islam and was known for his fiery temper and reddish complexion.
—Mara R. Revkin, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2016
See all Example Sentences for epithet
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epithet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 10 Sep. 2024.
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