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

The germ theory of disease was a huge step forward, helping doctors understand that polluted water sources spread disease, and then helping to develop antibiotics.

— Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
By late Thursday afternoon, Chicago had overtaken Detroit, Minneapolis and Toronto as the most polluted major city in the world, according to Swiss air quality company IQAir.

— Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Definition of polluted

Adjective

Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Suki, a vocal Black woman with an at times vulgar persona, whereas Althoff, a white woman, gained a reputation as an awkward, seemingly timid interviewer on her The Really Good Podcast.

— Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of vulgar

Adjective

Beyond the contaminated water, Detwiler says, they're linked to frequent illness outbreaks and can be notoriously difficult to trace back to their source.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 23 July 2026
In Michigan alone, more than 7,000 have fallen ill with the nasty foodborne disease, which causes severe diarrhea, and comes from exposure to a parasite in contaminated water used to wash or irrigate crops.

— Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of contaminated

Adjective

These stories were reprinted in Scottish and English botanical texts, and Henrietta would have known about the obscene ideas connected with the mushroom.

— Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
Jackson then allegedly drove over into another lane and swerved at the victim, while using an obscene hand gesture.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026

Definition of obscene

Adjective

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
But dwarf galaxies are smaller and colder, with more dilute and slower-moving matter.

— Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026

Definition of dilute

Adjective

In 2014, Andrew Tate began his pornographic webcamming empire, recruiting women by dating and plying them with gifts.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 22 July 2026
Last year, the Supreme Court upheld a different Texas law requiring that pornographic websites verify users are at least 18 to allow access.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of pornographic

Adjective

Both cooking and cleaning vinegars contain a diluted solution of acetic acid that is safe for use at home.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 July 2026
To help mitigate both pests and diseases, isolate the plant and treat infestations with safe, diluted systemic insecticides, such as organic neem oil.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026

Definition of diluted

Adjective

Over these six weeks, the standard of on-field refereeing was predictably unpredictable, given the wide range of views that exist in different countries on what constitutes a foul, caution or red card.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Joey Bart followed by lining a ball that whizzed over third base and then skidded in foul territory to the base of a wall that juts perpendicular to the infield.

— Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026

Definition of foul

Browse Nearby Words

impunity

impure

impurely

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“Impure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impure. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of impure

adjective

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