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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 profane
Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The Celtics attempted just four free throws to the Spurs’ 20, prompting Brown to blast Curtis Blair’s officiating crew in a profane postgame rant.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 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
Tarantino’s movies are known for pithy, profane dialogue and are liberally peppered with pop-culture references, graphic violence, and over-the-top cinematic flourishes.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The Celtics attempted just four free throws to the Spurs’ 20, prompting Brown to blast Curtis Blair’s officiating crew in a profane postgame rant.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 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
-
In this example the information is temporal, slight, and of little broad use.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Jan. 2026
-
It’s shaped around facial proportions, temporal corners, and the way hair naturally grows.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Otherwise disparate segments of Iranian society, such as the conservative Bazaari merchants hitherto largely loyal to the clerics and more liberal and secular Iranian youth, shared this overarching goal.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Its first secular use, as a term for major literary texts, dates to the eighteenth century, and that sense became gradually more pervasive as authority was divorced from scripture.—
Colton Valentine,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Not only are hospital CEOs paid obscene amounts of money and the hospitals are sitting on fat cash balances, but NewYork–Presbyterian is guilty of something even more grotesque.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Some made obscene gestures, and one held up a paper cursing the president.—
Josh Boak,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But now, federal prosecutors say Hennen is the fixer behind the biggest point-shaving scandal in history, accused of bribing 39 college players, corrupting 17 programs and fixing — or trying fix — 29 games to enrich himself and other gamblers.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Tracy Anderson believes most people today have had their attention spans hijacked by social media and their perception of beauty corrupted by trends.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But on Capitol Hill, Republicans from the powerful Florida delegation — dominated by supporters of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado — are concerned that Rodríguez’s government will inevitably find a way to misuse the oil revenue.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
These services can alert you early if someone tries to open accounts or misuse your identity.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In October 2025, Beckerink pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges in connection to two incidents at Tracey's home in New Buffalo, Michigan, as well as one count of contempt for violating his bond, and was sentenced to 93 days in jail.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Possession of a Starlink terminal now carries the threat of a prison sentence, and there have been reports of a physical crackdown on homes and rooftops where satellite receivers have been spotted.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Anything that would jeopardize an active federal investigation, and finally, anything that depicts or contain images of death, physical abuse or injury also not produced.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Although the Ripken card launched many conspiracy theories as to whether the inclusion of its vulgar phrase was truly a mistake or a Fleer marketing ploy, there is a long history of errors making it through quality control in sports card production.—
Tyler Holzhammer,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The joke swap during last year's Christmas episode went to some particularly jaw-dropping places after Che made Jost read a vulgar joke about Johansson.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
21 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
