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
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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
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2025
Consistency in one’s commitment to living by one’s own values — even profane, chaotic, nihilistic ones — feels rare right now.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 7 Aug. 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
Last week, a user was even able to prompt it to deliver a profane rant against Musk and others for trying distort the reality of the Israel-Hamas war.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2025
Consistency in one’s commitment to living by one’s own values — even profane, chaotic, nihilistic ones — feels rare right now.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 7 Aug. 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
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Context requires holding multiple layers of reality simultaneously—the organizational politics, cultural dynamics, personal histories, and temporal factors that shape every interaction.—
Michael Hudson,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
This pair of daring temporal adventurers makes hops, skips, and jumps along the time stream with Sam popping up randomly into different bodies throughout history.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The couple quickly began receiving death threats and obscene phone calls.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
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Banners or signs may not be commercial in nature or obscene, or cause any disturbance to other fans.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
We are absolutely not corrupted.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Microsoft has found no evidence that a recent Windows 11 update can corrupt a PC’s SSD, despite some user reports flagging the issue.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In 2024, he was twice arrested for misusing 911, but again no case files correspond with those arrests.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Leaders from Jackson Hospital and Baptist Health Systems, who were present at the dental clinic’s opening day, said community clinics like UHI help keep people from misusing the Emergency Departments at hospitals — which can run patients a bill of $800 a night.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Polish airspace was violated by at least 19 Russian drones overnight, the country's prime minister said, in a torrent of activity that triggered a response from the NATO country's air force, which scrambled and downed several of the drones.—
Will Gretsky,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
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In a 21-page ruling, Talwani found that ICE holding an 18-year-old migrant arrested on charges of shoplifting without a bond hearing violated his due process rights.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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All of it has a deeper religious meaning, but is also intended to appeal to the secular and spiritual.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Conversely, several secular growth trends are also benefitting the stock, including increasing mobile app usage and the rise of connected TV advertising.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The book is filled with vulgar pictures, with many faces blacked out, and messages both handwritten and typed from well-wishers for Epstein’s 50th birthday.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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The biopic is the vulgar but necessary tribute inherently populist cinema pays to more traditional, higher-brow art.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Today’s batteries depend on scarce resources like lithium and cobalt and degrade over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
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These perform well at low to medium heat, but begin to degrade around 500 °F, potentially releasing harmful fumes that can pose health risks.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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