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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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 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
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Around 20 million people in New Delhi woke up today breathing the most polluted air of any major city in the world, a day after celebrations for the Diwali festival.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
22 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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Aircraft manufacturers could also install air sensors on planes so that crew members know when contaminated air has entered a plane, safety advocates note.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Oct. 2025
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By transforming contaminated land into what scientists describe as self-cleaning biogeochemical reactors, the technology redefines how soil restoration can be achieved.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Beside one of those blandly obscene bidets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
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But the show avoided an FCC probe as the West Coast delay was censored, and the East Coast broadcast aired after the 6am-10pm window during which obscene content is prohibited on broadcast TV and radio.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
19 Oct. 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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While some individuals have produced hardcore pornographic clips starring Disney and comic book characters, others on the platform have succeeded in prompting Grok Imagine to conjure lewd imagery of Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, and Sydney Sweeney.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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OpenAI included numerous guardrails with Sora, including moderation, restrictions on scammy, violent and pornographic material, watermarks and controls over how one's likeness is used.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Essential oils can be used in various ways, such as inhaling them through a diffuser or applying a diluted solution to the skin.—
Emily Brown,
Verywell Health,
21 Oct. 2025
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Empty the bird baths and wash them with a diluted solution of vinegar and water, and dry before refilling.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Davidson’s condition, which leads him to make foul-mouthed outbursts, was barely understood at the time and was the source of misunderstandings, bullying, and harassment.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
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Earning an Emmy and a SAG Ensemble Award for his early 2000s role in Fox’s Ally McBeal, MacNicol earned another Emmy nomination for his work as foul-mouthed New Hampshire political power player Jeff Kane on HBO’s Veep in 2019.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impure. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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