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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of epithets
Since construction at the Eagle Rock site — so nicknamed after a decrepit colonnade — first stalled in 2008, the only thing that accumulated faster than the garbage and graffiti were the epithets from outraged community members.
—
Ryan Steven Green,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
The Chawla said multiple campaign road signs were vandalized with racial epithets in two separate incidents.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
His nanny was his fierce protector and insulated him from the depredations of Nazis and their enablers, baptizing him and teaching him to handily hurl anti-Jewish epithets to fit in.
—
Ron Kampeas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
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
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
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.
—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
The doc has also earned the ire of Chase’s former Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, who firmly distanced herself from it and all attempts to reinvestigate Chase’s firing from the show amid accusations of hurling racial epithets.
—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Dec. 2025
Ryan Steven Green,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
The Chawla said multiple campaign road signs were vandalized with racial epithets in two separate incidents.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
His nanny was his fierce protector and insulated him from the depredations of Nazis and their enablers, baptizing him and teaching him to handily hurl anti-Jewish epithets to fit in.
—
Ron Kampeas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
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
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
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.
—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
The doc has also earned the ire of Chase’s former Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, who firmly distanced herself from it and all attempts to reinvestigate Chase’s firing from the show amid accusations of hurling racial epithets.
—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithets
Noun
-
The moon's nicknames, like April's Pink Moon, May's Flower Moon or June's Strawberry Moon, originated from Native Americans, Colonial Americans and other cultures' names for the moon.
-
The painting is an abstract map of Chicago titled after one of the city's many nicknames that originated in a Carl Sandburg poem.
Noun
-
According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs.
-
Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
Noun
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Many common surnames, such as Carpenter or Baker, originated from occupations passed down through generations, reflecting how closely people’s identities were tied to their work.
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Decade after decade, Chicagoans with Italian surnames have hidden instead of objected.
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.
Noun
-
However, this trend doesn't take away from the trend of parents choosing ancient civilization names for their kids — monikers like Cassian, Aurelius and Cleo remain popular.
-
The jokes and goofy monikers mattered.
Cite this Entry
“Epithets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithets. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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