as in blasphemy
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
the unspeakable impiety of spitting in a church
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impiety
By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.
—
Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Clouzot supplied that insight in strong visual terms: Fresnay’s conflicting impiety and righteous anger and so much dissatisfaction and panic among the townsfolk.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
If Socrates were still around (Letters, Nov. 3), he wouldn’t be canceled for impiety and corrupting the youth.
—Stephen Borkowski, WSJ, 7 Nov. 2023
Asclepius was a gifted healer, too gifted perhaps, and he was killed by Zeus for the impiety of raising the dead.
—Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Clouzot supplied that insight in strong visual terms: Fresnay’s conflicting impiety and righteous anger and so much dissatisfaction and panic among the townsfolk.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
If Socrates were still around (Letters, Nov. 3), he wouldn’t be canceled for impiety and corrupting the youth.
—Stephen Borkowski, WSJ, 7 Nov. 2023
Asclepius was a gifted healer, too gifted perhaps, and he was killed by Zeus for the impiety of raising the dead.
—Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impiety
Noun
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The European Parliament has twice called for Yahaya’s release, asking Nigeria to set an example by abolishing the blasphemy laws under which he has been detained for over five years.—
Sean Nelson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Yes, all this is whimsical blasphemy.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For years, Apple treated the idea of windows on the iPad as sacrilege.—
Craig Grannell,
Wired News,
16 Aug. 2025
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And still, Wankdorf Stadium heaved with Portuguese song, as if any other noise outside of a goal celebration might border on sacrilege.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
Noun
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That will kick off a public process in which the City Council will carefully consider which violations warrant the use of of administrative citations and how the fines will be scaled.—
Wes Burdine,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Currently, nearly 60,000 people are being held by ICE, almost half have no criminal record, only immigration violations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The opposition accuses Fico of eroding democratic standards, media freedom, and covering up corruption.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Trump’s proposal is part of a recent effort to strengthen relations with Argentina and longtime political ally and Argentinian President Javier Milei, a chainsaw-wielding leader known for both taming the country’s hyperinflation, but also navigating several corruption scandals.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, the party came within a single vote of getting a constitutional amendment prohibiting desecration of the flag through Congress two decades ago.—
Frederic J. Frommer,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Its desecration has sparked international outcry and raised concerns about security at major religious sites.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There are up to 20,000 rabid people raining down their emotions from all angles, a dozen sticks clattering, two dozen skates carving, all those burly bodies bumping into each other and banging into the boards, plus an endless stream of screaming and grunting and cursing.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Running offstage, costumes disheveled, strategizing, cursing.—
Lauren Rothery,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
-
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.—
John Edgar Wideman,
The New Yorker,
8 July 2021
Noun
-
The caramel coating of insane-asylum irreverence can’t totally disguise that flavor.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Shows with women protagonists and nuanced explorations of their personal and professional lives reflect her wit, irreverence, and commitment to social justice.—
Time,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impiety. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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