1
as in temporal
not involving religion or religious matters
it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in secular
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred
offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
his idea of dinner table conversation is the telling of profane stories about his alleged sexual exploits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to corrupt
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories
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2
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies
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3
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profane
Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
Walker, an East High School graduate, began performing comedy two decades ago in Denver, quickly moving up the ladder in the alternative and mainstream scenes with his savvy, profane and charming routines that profanely poked fun at his dating habits, among other topics.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021
The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic.
—Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for profane
Adjective
The love described is classical in tone, so tragically all-consuming and full of shadows that to listen on an iPhone seems almost profane.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
Walker, an East High School graduate, began performing comedy two decades ago in Denver, quickly moving up the ladder in the alternative and mainstream scenes with his savvy, profane and charming routines that profanely poked fun at his dating habits, among other topics.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
Her husband, the exuberant and often profane former Dodgers manager who won two World Series championships, died Jan. 7 at 93.
—Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021
The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic.
—Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for profane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profane
Adjective
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Zhe said the study is the first to reveal the trends in artificial light use with a level of temporal detail that distinguishes individual events and regional trends.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The forty-three-year gap between provocation and retaliation is a void between cause and effect into which all temporal logic vanishes.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Cripple Iran's ability to threaten its neighbors, spur a popular uprising in Iran, and then conduct regime change, leaving in place a secular leader.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The secular story on big-cap tech—the margins, the cash flow, the AI tailwind—was never in doubt.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Weapon violations dropped more than 13%, and crimes involving pornography or obscene material were down more than 23%, according to the report.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
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Do better, or consider hiring people who paint a vivid enough picture with words rather than having to lean on photographers who seem to have an obscene bloodlust.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff Office investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is facing troubles of its own, as a former sheriff has accused current leadership of ‘corrupting’ the crime scene, and a deputy has been arrested and fired on a kidnapping charge.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Amid the backdrop of the war in Iran, Leo has repeatedly warned in recent days that violence is becoming normalized and that religious language is at risk of being misused to justify it.—
Chris Livesay,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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In October 2025, he and another former Godley officer were indicted on charges of misusing a city credit card.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Werner said there is one charge, an accusation of participating in an encampment that disturbed university operations, which violates the faculty code of conduct.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
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The penalty for violating the speed limit depends on how fast the driver is going.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Drew Allar is a walking collection of top-end NFL quarterback traits, too — there is no reason a QB with that type of physical talent should be waiting around late into Day 3.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Officers responded to a 911 call and were informed of a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical altercation, the department told Footwear News.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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His father's death during World War II influenced his pursuit of the ministry even amid the officially atheistic communist regime of the Soviet Union, according to his obituary on the OCU website.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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