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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of epithet
But the singer has often said that his time in the group was an education in both music and prejudice, with audiences cheering on the band during performances, and then hurling punches and racial epithets after their shows.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
White supremacist Nick Fuentes, in a video, praised the post while using a racist epithet in his commentary.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
The person who shouted the epithet was John Davidson, an activist with Tourette syndrome, who removed himself from the room and later apologized, as did BAFTA and BBC, the show’s broadcaster, which failed to edit out the slur during the broadcast.
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
White supremacist Nick Fuentes, in a video, praised the post while using a racist epithet in his commentary.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
The person who shouted the epithet was John Davidson, an activist with Tourette syndrome, who removed himself from the room and later apologized, as did BAFTA and BBC, the show’s broadcaster, which failed to edit out the slur during the broadcast.
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
Noun
-
The All Whites, New Zealand’s team nickname, are in their third World Cup and seeking their first victory after going winless in 1982 and 2010.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
-
Her aunt Karen, for example, gave her an Easter basket embroidered with the nickname Shelly; her grandmother intended to give it to her for Easter 1983.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Noun
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An unusual insult in Grease came to be thanks to a flub on an actor's part.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
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And, to add insult to Cardinals’ fans’ injury, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of that same game, Jordan Walker hit a ball nearly 100-mph into the gap in left-center.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Even a serial killer adopted the Zodiac as his moniker.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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That moniker comes from a violent 1967 peasant uprising against oppressive landlords in Naxalbari, a village in the shadow of the Himalayan foothills in northeast India.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
There’s a lot of sarcasm, and a lot of personalities.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
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His willingness to deliver unvarnished opinions, often sprinkled with sarcasm or humor, has been refreshing for Gator Nation after four seasons of Billy Napier’s measured — at times droning — delivery.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Indeed, her surname is first in the new firm.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
28 May 2026
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In the real world, a married woman who changes her surname obviously remains the same person.—
Hamilton Mann,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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