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
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
The epithet could be heard when the BBC broadcast the ceremony about two hours after the live event.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
There is no stronger epithet in Albany than the charge of being weak.
—Paul Francis, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for epithet
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2026
The epithet could be heard when the BBC broadcast the ceremony about two hours after the live event.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
There is no stronger epithet in Albany than the charge of being weak.
—Paul Francis, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
Noun
-
There were other nicknames, too, some less flattering than others.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
-
The Redskins moved forward as the Washington Football Team in 2020 because the hasty retreat from the original nickname didn't give the club time to come up with something new.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The other guys are on their feet, trying to break it up, someone is calling someone else a loser, there are swings and kicks and insults, men grabbing at other men, trying to restrain them and busting the restraints.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
After discussion with my editors, ProPublica decided to note the insults in the story.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
On their first album under the moniker, the two noisemakers from Animal Collective delight in this combination, foregrounding campfire acoustics while sinister drones lurk around the corner.—
Ethan Beck,
Pitchfork,
12 May 2026
-
Fajitagate became the moniker for a drunken brawl involving three off-duty San Francisco police officers and two men over a bag of steak fajitas.—
Richard Halstead,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Zilis peppered her speech with unusual phrases and occasional sarcasm.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
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Played with blistering sarcasm by Emily Blunt, the high-strung Runway magazine assistant had many of the most crackling one-liners in the original 2006 film.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Oyatte is named for the plum blossom, connected to Korean history, and also reflects the Chinese character in Lee’s surname.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
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One of those was Ivan, a cashier at a branch of one of Russia’s largest retailers, who asked CNN not to use his surname or disclose his workplace.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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