1
as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
be careful, because impure motor oil can damage your car's engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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Recent Examples of impure
This anti-establishment mindset translates to denim with dirty shades of indigo, impure neutrals and green casts, accented with pops of fiery red and pale yellow.
—
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025
According to some Buddhist scriptures, during Maya’s pregnancy the future Buddha never actually touched her womb, which was considered impure in early Indian Buddhism.
—Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 6 May 2025
Farmers or middlemen also frequently adulterated milk, watering it down to stretch supplies—with impure water likely to introduce further pathogens—or adding toxic substances, like formaldehyde or chalk, meant to conceal spoilage or make milk appear whiter.
— Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
What was considered holy at one time was considered impure in other epochs.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impure
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025
According to some Buddhist scriptures, during Maya’s pregnancy the future Buddha never actually touched her womb, which was considered impure in early Indian Buddhism.
—Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 6 May 2025
Farmers or middlemen also frequently adulterated milk, watering it down to stretch supplies—with impure water likely to introduce further pathogens—or adding toxic substances, like formaldehyde or chalk, meant to conceal spoilage or make milk appear whiter.
— Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
What was considered holy at one time was considered impure in other epochs.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impure
Adjective
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Instead of this stuff that's raised overseas that's done in ways that doesn't have any checks, that it's got polluted water, it's being fed really nasty stuff, full of antibiotics, full of chemicals.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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Instead of adding external chemicals or excavating polluted layers, the soil itself becomes a dynamic system capable of regenerating its quality over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Who decides what’s decorous and what’s vulgar?—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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The president has been targeting Jeffries online with offensive and vulgar memes since the pair first had an unsuccessful sit-down meeting in the Oval Office just before the shutdown.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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McKinney’s company was recently suspended from the city's demolition program for allegedly filling sites with contaminated dirt obtained from the redevelopment of Northland Mall.—
Violet Ikonomova,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The new advisory follows recent testing in eastern Kennebec and western Waldo counties, which showed that deer and turkey sampled from areas near contaminated soil had PFAS concentrations in muscle tissue high enough to warrant a public health warning.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Banners containing commercial, political or obscene material, or that block guest views.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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Just another week in the world of Ball, who was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Monday for making an obscene gesture in the fourth quarter of the Hornets’ 144-117 loss to Miami.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Second, a dilute hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining lithium and the transition metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
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For example, Wilson’s team is exploring whether dilute acids speed up weathering.—
Robert F. Service,
Science | AAAS,
3 Sep. 2020
Adjective
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The waste feels more flagrant with every pornographic shot of a Chanel bag, vintage car or over-the-top ensemble.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Opponents of the books describe them as pornographic.—
Adrienne Davis,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Net profit fell to $51 million, or 40 cents per diluted share, from $189 million in the year-earlier quarter.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
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If peppers bloom, hand-pollinate the flowers with an old makeup brush, and lightly feed your plants with a diluted application of organic liquid fertilizer.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This mostly came from a high-profile matchup against the Lakers in which Rui Hachimura defended Wemby well and Marcus Smart flopped his way into a couple of offensive foul calls against Wembanyama.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
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The album’s messy yet seamless scatter-spray of instruments—cello, hand shakers, piano—gets torn apart by the foulest plumes of bass.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impure. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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