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
Most of the messages were filled with expletives.
—
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The great thing about the Dove partnership is that Lynch is able to be himself and show off that trademark humor -- with a lot of expletives -- in the social media teasers for the fragrance.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
This certainly isn’t the first time there’s been an on-air flub with expletives.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Bears coach Ben Johnson is probably happy to get out of Detroit, where he was serenaded with a chorus of boos and expletives throughout his team's loss.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The great thing about the Dove partnership is that Lynch is able to be himself and show off that trademark humor -- with a lot of expletives -- in the social media teasers for the fragrance.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
This certainly isn’t the first time there’s been an on-air flub with expletives.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Bears coach Ben Johnson is probably happy to get out of Detroit, where he was serenaded with a chorus of boos and expletives throughout his team's loss.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
-
The last of the old curses and the purest championship drought in the sport.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
After its patriarch’s mysterious death, the pharma family falls prey to an ancient curse.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Don’t pretend the cure for coarse speech is a swear jar.—
Eric Preven,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Taylor and Hinkle swear by bonnets, while Royal and others recommend tying longer styles into a loose bun or braid before wrapping.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Feller told Al Jazeera that Chinese employers would have to accommodate non-Mandarin speakers by offering English-language positions and improve work-life balance.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
-
One of the most prominent Mexican actresses of her generation, Notni led Amazon MGM’s 2024 reboot of Zorro and recently wrapped Day One, a Spanish-language Amazon series which releases later this year.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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According to a 2020 study in the International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, the number of profanities in songs on the Billboard Top 100 charts rose from less than 200 per year in 2009 to more than 700 per year in 2018.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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This story references profanity and may be offensive to some readers.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Use chapter titles or epithets to set up what’s coming.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
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On his next broadcast, Maher convened guests like Ice Cube and Michael Eric Dyson to call him to task for using the epithet and to explore the issues about its us.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 Sep. 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
-
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 6 Oct. 2025.
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