as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
unleashed a slew of expletives upon losing the tennis match
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expletive
He was removed for saying an expletive during his comments.
—
Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2025
Oasis has no interest in awards Both times the band has been nominated for entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Liam has responded to the potential honor with angry expletives.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 5 July 2025
After pausing there to chant slogans and expletives opposing Trump’s immigration policies, the group, large enough to fill just under a single city block but growing, continued to march through downtown and appeared headed toward the Tower Bridge.
—Sacbee.com, 15 June 2025
Other posts included in the indictment show Habba was also called expletives.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2025
Oasis has no interest in awards Both times the band has been nominated for entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Liam has responded to the potential honor with angry expletives.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 5 July 2025
After pausing there to chant slogans and expletives opposing Trump’s immigration policies, the group, large enough to fill just under a single city block but growing, continued to march through downtown and appeared headed toward the Tower Bridge.
—Sacbee.com, 15 June 2025
Other posts included in the indictment show Habba was also called expletives.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
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Rumors of a Satanic curse on the event skittered around the Haight, so early on the morning of the 14th, Ginsberg, Snyder, and Alan Watts conducted a pradakshina, a Buddhist purification rite.—
Dennis McNally,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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As those points attest, emotional wording can be a blessing and a curse.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Bonus: For every 100ml bottle sold, Omorovicza donates 5% to Water.org, supporting global access to safe water. Jones Road Miracle Balm, $40 Women over 50 swear by this award-winning, Bobbi Brown-founded brand for its nourishing and hydrating qualities.—
Kristen Philipkoski,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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The word was forbidden in their household and treated like a swear.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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As fiduciaries, trustees are charged with managing trust assets, making distributions according to the trust’s terms and adhering strictly to the grantor’s intent and the language in the trust agreement.—
Royce Ramey,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In 2015, she was suspended from her role as a Fox News contributor for two weeks after using profanity in an on-air criticism of Obama.—
Nicole Briese,
People.com,
19 July 2025
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Others bore creative and bilingual profanities directed at Trump, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, who oversees most of the country’s public acreage, and Sen. Mike Lee, the Republican from Utah, who on June 11 had proposed a large-scale selloff of public lands.—
Abe Streep,
ProPublica,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Tackett shouted racial epithets against Latinos at the driver before hurling a cup of hot coffee into their car, splashing the victim’s face, hands and the inside of his car, Oldoerp said.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
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The two welders who had been spewing racist epithets at Pierre, the lawsuit said, began retaliating.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 July 2025
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
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And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.—
Virginia Konchan,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2024
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My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.—
Jim Meddleton,
The Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Expletive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expletive. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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