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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irreverence
Shows with women protagonists and nuanced explorations of their personal and professional lives reflect her wit, irreverence, and commitment to social justice.
—
Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Corso’s energetic blend of irreverence and showmanship broke the mold among college football commentators.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Miu Miu Beauty has announced Miutine, the new feminine fragrance capturing the ultimate essence of the brand’s signature irreverence with a dash of youthful and unconventional spirit, is set to launch on August 27.
—Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
The fragrance’s starting point was the consumer — especially Gen Zers, who are partial to a deep form of insouciance, with a liberating irreverence, market insights show.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for irreverence
Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Corso’s energetic blend of irreverence and showmanship broke the mold among college football commentators.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Miu Miu Beauty has announced Miutine, the new feminine fragrance capturing the ultimate essence of the brand’s signature irreverence with a dash of youthful and unconventional spirit, is set to launch on August 27.
—Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
The fragrance’s starting point was the consumer — especially Gen Zers, who are partial to a deep form of insouciance, with a liberating irreverence, market insights show.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for irreverence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irreverence
Noun
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Another of Mirk’s sermons tells a lurid story about the Virgin appearing to a judge known for his blasphemy.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Nov. 2025
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More recently, Netflix’s film Mary, about the life of the mother of Jesus Christ, sparked debate among viewers when it was released in 2024, and the upcoming horror film The Carpenter’s Son about Jesus Christ was described as blasphemy online.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In 1998, the Lucky Chances casino opened, surrounded by graveyards on three side, which critics saw as a sacrilege.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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For years, Apple treated the idea of windows on the iPad as sacrilege.—
Craig Grannell,
Wired News,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The most common template for an insider trading violation is as follows.—
Samidh Guha,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
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In Chicago, the indelible image of a pastor in a clerical collar shot in the head with a pepper ball by agents standing on the rooftop of an ICE building is a direct violation of CBP’s use of force policy.—
Andy Rose 19 hr ago,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Both men are charged with two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful removal of a dead body and unlawful desecration of a human corpse, according to court records.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Complete and utter desecration of a national monument.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Clouzot supplied that insight in strong visual terms: Fresnay’s conflicting impiety and righteous anger and so much dissatisfaction and panic among the townsfolk.—
Armond White,
National Review,
20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The Eastpointe Police Department said the threats came in front of staff, students and parents, who witnessed the parent screaming and cursing, WWJ reported.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
27 Oct. 2025
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There are up to 20,000 rabid people raining down their emotions from all angles, a dozen sticks clattering, two dozen skates carving, all those burly bodies bumping into each other and banging into the boards, plus an endless stream of screaming and grunting and cursing.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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India became Sri Lanka’s de facto lender of last resort without requiring the Sri Lankan government to address concerns about the human rights abuses, militarization, or corruption that fueled the country’s political crisis.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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But turnout has been persistently low, months of horse-trading to form a government are likely to follow, and voters are weary of high levels of corruption.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Weston said stripping Andrew of the medal would be an insult to those who have served in the British armed forces.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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In popular discourse, the word has taken on a life of its own, as an insult deployed without clear reference to any theory of psychology.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irreverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreverence. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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