1
as in nicknames
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 insults
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
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Recent Examples of epithets
Use chapter titles or epithets to set up what’s coming.
—
Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Then there was the woman who was Speaker of the House and would walk around talking to herself, screaming out epithets to imaginary people.
—Larry David, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Terrell represented a Black teenager who’d been expelled from a Los Angeles high school for punching a white referee during a football game after the referee allegedly had directed racial epithets at him.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2025
At one point, tempers flared in the drive-thru lane as a driver in a pickup truck gave up and somehow managed to pull off a U-turn, precipitating a hangry window-down exchange of epithets with the car behind him.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Then there was the woman who was Speaker of the House and would walk around talking to herself, screaming out epithets to imaginary people.
—Larry David, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Terrell represented a Black teenager who’d been expelled from a Los Angeles high school for punching a white referee during a football game after the referee allegedly had directed racial epithets at him.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2025
At one point, tempers flared in the drive-thru lane as a driver in a pickup truck gave up and somehow managed to pull off a U-turn, precipitating a hangry window-down exchange of epithets with the car behind him.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithets
Noun
-
That information from customers was leaked in a full database, including customer’s names, mobile numbers, email addresses, license plate numbers, vehicle nicknames, and more.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
6 Oct. 2025
-
And though some nicknames can wear out their welcome with age, McCollough does not feel that way about his.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
On Saturday, McIlroy repeatedly had to step away from his golf ball as spectators shouted obscenities and personal insults at the Irishman.—
Jenna West,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Antoni, a former Heritage Foundation economist, had come under fire for his history of social media posts that used economic stats for partisan purposes, sexist remarks, and insults targeting gay TV anchors.—
Ruth Umoh,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
He is seen as a younger, more moderate voice – having vowed to clean up politics, initiate discussions on constitutional reform and allow married couples to use separate surnames, something currently banned under law.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Many descendants of the original settlers — with surnames like Crockett, Parks and Thomas — have remained to this day.—
Julie Depenbrock,
NPR,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate are now wrestling under different monikers as part of their new masked gimmick.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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Which of the following monikers did Benjamin Franklin NOT employ?—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epithets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithets. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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