IMPURE Synonyms: 194 Similar and Opposite Words

impure

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpyu̇r

Definition of impure

as in polluted

containing foreign or lower-grade substances be careful, because impure motor oil can damage your car's engine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in vulgar

depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society Victorian notions of what qualified as impure art now strike us as laughable

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of impure Curtain calls In 1900, more than 6,000 people in England were poisoned by beer that had been brewed using impure sulfuric acid containing arsenic. — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025 This method combines impure raw silicon with pure aluminum, lowering the melting temperature compared to conventional polysilicon production. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025 Women who are menstruating are traditionally not allowed to enter temple grounds, as it's considered impure in Balinese Hinduism. — Zahra Surya Darma, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 July 2025 The trash is heated to break it into crude, impure syngas, which is then zapped with plasma torches to further refine it. — IEEE Spectrum, 22 Nov. 2011 See All Example Sentences for impure

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impure

Adjective

In Wilmington, officials are looking into why a couple of polluted tidal creeks in the area are struggling to recover despite restoration efforts.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
But flood control cut off that supply, replacing it with polluted canals.

— Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of polluted

Adjective

Decide for yourself whether that’s a bold indicator of English football’s superiority over the rest of the world, or a revolting symbol of the bloated and vulgar behemoth that the game has become.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
However, recent scholarship posits that the structure was used as ordinary (rather than punitive) housing, and that the vulgar decor was in fact a distinguishing characteristic of the epoch.

— Jim Greer, SPIN, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of vulgar

Adjective

Officials added that people cannot become infected with Naegleria fowleri by swallowing contaminated water; however, the amoeba can enter the body when it is forcefully introduced, such as through the nose into the brain.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
People cannot become infected by swallowing contaminated water.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of contaminated

Adjective

Last year, after signing a $132 million contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers following a trade, he was docked another $26,000 for fighting and making an obscene gesture.

— Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
There was a dog’s leg that had been sewn on near a man’s crotch in a way that seemed like an obscene visual pun.

— John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of obscene

Adjective

Finally, the third recruits seaweed to gather minerals that are otherwise too dilute to chase.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 July 2026
Clean and disinfect your pruning shears between working on each plant by dipping them into a dilute 10% solution of chlorine bleach water or rubbing alcohol.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 July 2026

Definition of dilute

Adjective

Authorities say the girl was subsequently subjected to threats, emotional blackmail, surveillance and physical violence and forced to produce pornographic material and participate in online webcam sessions.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
The sheriff’s office said Ahlers had hundreds, and possibly thousands, of pornographic photos and videos of children on his hard drive.

— Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of pornographic

Adjective

If lily pollen or another substance is on a cat’s coat, Wahlen recommends wiping it away or washing the area with diluted dish soap to prevent ingestion during grooming.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Even if this is so, experts say personalized pricing could lead to a diluted understanding of what one item should cost.

— Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of diluted

Adjective

No one, in my opinion, comes close to this selfish, foul-mouthed and stupid showman.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
There is no such statement in relation to foul tackles, but officials are expected to award a free kick if the first contact is outside the box, and a penalty if that contact is inside.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of foul

Browse Nearby Words

impunity

impure

impurely

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Impure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impure. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of impure

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quorum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes