as in blasphemy
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
the sect has no tolerance for any irreverence directed toward their spiritual leader
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Recent Examples of irreverence
That irreverence is something Lighton sensed from their first conversation.
—
Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Writer-directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer handle it all with irreverence and compassion.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 31 Jan. 2026
The publication is a stylish bible of the young downtown set and is known for its irreverence, early internet aesthetic, and buzzy parties, which reportedly draw rapturous crowds.
—Niela Orr, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Cumming’s selection continues BAFTA’s recent tradition of choosing hosts who can balance irreverence with reverence, as the ceremony seeks to maintain its prestige while remaining accessible to a global audience.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irreverence
Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Writer-directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer handle it all with irreverence and compassion.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 31 Jan. 2026
The publication is a stylish bible of the young downtown set and is known for its irreverence, early internet aesthetic, and buzzy parties, which reportedly draw rapturous crowds.
—Niela Orr, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Cumming’s selection continues BAFTA’s recent tradition of choosing hosts who can balance irreverence with reverence, as the ceremony seeks to maintain its prestige while remaining accessible to a global audience.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irreverence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irreverence
Noun
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Another young man, Mashal Khan, a university student and poet, was lynched by a mob of fellow students who accused him of blasphemy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
As depicted in the movie, Lee was arrested multiple times for blasphemy and disturbing the peace.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At issue was Sheikh Dibo’s description of the prayer that locals tend to say when visiting a grave; to the ISIS member, such prayers were sacrilege.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
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That’s the ultimate Hollywood sacrilege.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Peters was found guilty of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant and one count each of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failure to comply with the requirements of the secretary of state.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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Passengers who get banned from travel or booted off the plane for this violation may be eligible for a refund upon request, United adds.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Brothers Keith and Terrence Nicks were found guilty by separate juries of desecration of human remains, removal of human remains and removal of more than 10 gravestones and markers.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Later that day, her 25-year-old son, Khadir Jones, was arrested and charged with desecration of human remains, My Central Jersey reported.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even aside from Trump’s own enthusiastic personal immorality and impiety, his political style — the pugnacious smear artist and demagogic braggart — was the antithesis of what evangelicals had sought before.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
23 Sep. 2025
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By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.—
Merve Emre,
The New Yorker,
16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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People went ballistic—cursing, yelling, screaming, all kinds of threats.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Once, politicians kept their cursing mostly private.—
Cal Thomas,
Arkansas Online,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That technical term means a calculation error can cause memory corruption inside the system.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Five years ago, Martin had been involved in a major gang case that prosecutors eventually dismissed following the fallout from the corruption and racist texting scandal involving Antioch police.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Recovery has scarcely begun, but insult is being added to fire victims’ injuries as local officials — especially Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — engage in a tawdry game of finger-pointing.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
4 Mar. 2026
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The last of these, which would have been an insult in previous eras, is part of the Buttigieg value proposition.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irreverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreverence. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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