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 atheistical
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
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Recent Examples of profane
Ashley Fredde, Idaho Statesman, 27 June 2025
Between real and fiction, between the sacred and the profane, Bardi follows an itinerant brotherhood of horsemen across central Morocco.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 June 2025
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
Using vulgar or profane language loudly in the presence of children.
—Ashley Fredde, Idaho Statesman, 27 June 2025
Between real and fiction, between the sacred and the profane, Bardi follows an itinerant brotherhood of horsemen across central Morocco.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 June 2025
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
-
The film makes the prisoners’ civil-rights violations explicit as these vulnerable characters are dropped into legal and temporal limbo and are denied the right of due process, an ongoing conversation in light of recent deportations.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
-
But there’s nothing average about MULA, and their new album, ETERNA, blasts these alchemic blends with darkwave, shattering temporal constructs of nostalgia and futurism with a tropi-goth sound for all seasons.—
Richard Villegas,
Rolling Stone,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
Lawsuit alleges 'obscene' government overreach Longo's lawsuit, filed in Chemung County, New York, names the county, the city of Elmira and several DEC officers as defendants.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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The court acknowledged that protecting minors from material that would be considered obscene from their perspective was a compelling government interest.—
Noah Feldman,
Mercury News,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Some have been corrupted by money and power, betraying each other as readily as the criminals do.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
Parliament has been corrupted by agents of a genocidal foreign power.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Disagreement exists on whether excess SEEK funds were misused and if KDE's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts were ineffective.—
Krista Johnson,
The Courier-Journal,
10 July 2025
-
The symbolic 5-2 vote followed council members’ accusations that Burns failed to notify them about legislation that made Monroe’s elections partisan, misused the city’s logo and address to share personal political views, and struggled to maintain order during meetings.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
According to a spokesperson for the National Police Association, there are too many people violating home detention in Maryland who are committing crimes while wearing their ankle monitors.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 July 2025
-
Police can issue citations to self-driving vehicles' registered owners under a variety of circumstances, including if the car violates a traffic law resulting in a collision.—
Sasha Hupka,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
In India, the demands of blood and soil are now pitted against the exalted idea of a more secular country.—
Aatish Taseer,
Time,
15 July 2025
-
As Costa tells it, even the turmoil of the ensuing years, which included a brutal military dictatorship and multiple impeachments, were still at heart secular: Humans, however flawed and at times incredibly cruel, remained at the root of these decisions.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
The comics were often dismissed as a vulgar form, but the bad joke of our superhero-movie culture is that most of it is a vulgarization of the comics.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
8 July 2025
-
Nan’s rebellion was never loud or vulgar but always quietly confident and effortlessly elegant.—
Felicity Carter,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Metal can tarnish or degrade when exposed to humidity, and many materials degrade when exposed to cardboard that isn't acid-free.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 July 2025
-
In the last year, Israel has managed to significantly degrade the capabilities of its adversaries, particularly Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and its June conflict with Iran – with the help of the U.S. – was widely seen as having dealt a significant blow to Tehran’s abilities to harm the Jewish state.—
Natasha Turak,
CNBC,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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