impure

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpyu̇r How to pronounce impure (audio)
Definition of impurenext
1
as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances be careful, because impure motor oil can damage your car's engine

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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 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
  1. polluted
  2. vulgar
  3. contaminated
  4. obscene
  5. dilute
  6. pornographic
  7. diluted
  8. foul
Adjective
  • New Delhi and its metropolitan region, home to more than 30 million people, regularly rank among the world’s most polluted areas during winter.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Generations of Black children lived, learned, and played on the polluted land.
    — Yona Gavino, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of polluted
Adjective
  • Please do not waste your sympathy on the misguided and vulgar notion that spending loads of money is a prerequisite for a lovely wedding or meaningful reception.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Taylor describes inappropriate physical touch, as well as the knight cornering her and saying vulgar things.
    — Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • That can allow contaminated water to enter the pipes that deliver water to homes and businesses.
    — Marlee Shaffer, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The audit, released Monday, identified a host of issues, including regulators’ failure to meet regular inspection schedules or to conduct sufficient random checks at dispensaries for contaminated products.
    — Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of contaminated
Adjective
  • Those images are said to include an adult man identified by witnesses as Markle with a nude prepubescent girl among other obscene materials.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Facing a Carolina defense that fired its coordinator, the Broncos need to secure an early lead — not a crazy idea given that Sean Payton dispatches NFC South opponents with an impersonal contempt that’s almost obscene — and let the defense eat.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 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
  • Egyptian courts have tried blocking pornographic websites, but private online access remains widespread.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
  • On the day of the $50 million demand, a WeChat chat on one of her phones shows pornographic images arriving and being sent back with Victim-1’s face grafted on, the complaint says.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • The crowd gave a relatively diluted response, and then the cameras panned to several Warriors players who appeared to be laughing.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Researchers place powdered magnet waste in an electrochemical cell, where an electrolyte such as diluted sulfuric acid provides the medium for chemical reactions.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of diluted
Adjective
  • Feast on fresh fruits, pastries, cold cuts, omelettes, and traditional foul mudammas while traversing the ancient waterway.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Who hasn’t airballed a foul shot in front of a Catholic school auditorium filled with 50 people on a Saturday morning?
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of foul

Browse Nearby Words

impunity
impure
impurely
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Cite this Entry

“Impure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impure. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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