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
Very carefully, unless your boss is Graydon Carter, whose gift for irreverence and self-deprecation is almost as legendary as his hair.
—
Jim Kelly, Air Mail, 29 Mar. 2025
The film’s a strange but potent mix of irreverence and patriotism.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Shot through the lens of director Yorgos Lanthimos' darkly comedic irreverence, this is a (gloriously) nasty piece of work, and Colman is more than willing to get her hands dirty.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
The film’s a strange but potent mix of irreverence and patriotism.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irreverence
Jim Kelly, Air Mail, 29 Mar. 2025
The film’s a strange but potent mix of irreverence and patriotism.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Shot through the lens of director Yorgos Lanthimos' darkly comedic irreverence, this is a (gloriously) nasty piece of work, and Colman is more than willing to get her hands dirty.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
The film’s a strange but potent mix of irreverence and patriotism.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irreverence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irreverence
Noun
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Pakistan's Christians, barely 2 percent of the population, face lynchings over false accusations of blasphemy, with 2024 seeing churches burned and families displaced.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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For this theme to have been chosen only after the tragic passing of pioneering fashion icon, long-time Vogue editor-at-large, and unmistakable dandy, Andre Leon Talley, is a sort of blasphemy.—
Akilah Sailers,
Essence,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Such a transformation would represent an irrevocable loss: a profound sacrilege not only to the city’s rich history but also to the cultural legacy for the future generations.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2025
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For many liberals and radicals, beginning with Lord Byron, Elgin was a vandal who had committed sacrilege.—
Ralph Leonard,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The complaint at the crux of Lopez v. Apple is a violation of privacy.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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That's a seeming violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Noyb alleged.—
Ashley Belanger – May 14,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Yet Jesus becomes angered by the desecration of the temple and begins tipping over the merchants' tables in the holy place while wielding a righteous whip.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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In the first of thirteen live, three-hour shows (with Nelle sitting in the studio audience), the thirty-five-year-old Reagan, accompanied by four Black actors, dramatically reenacted Klan cross-burnings, beatings and shootings, and the desecration of synagogues.—
Richard D. Mahoney,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 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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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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The Boston City Council will take up a resolution this week that calls for disgraced Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson’s removal from the body in the wake of her guilty plea to two federal corruption charges tied to a City Hall kickback scheme.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
13 May 2025
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However, rumors swirled about his luxury lifestyle and possible corruption and eventually led to federal charges in 2007.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2025
Noun
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Sarandos, playing a cheeky version of himself, delivers a sharp line about contractual award show shout-outs before signing off with an insult.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 May 2025
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People hurled insults as the police started taking down the barricades.—
Carolyn Komatsoulis,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 2025
Noun
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Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.—
John Edgar Wideman,
The New Yorker,
8 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“Irreverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreverence. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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