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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profane
Stephen Mihm, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Nearly 6 million people watched the cartoon’s season premiere last week, which featured ruthless and profane commentary about President Trump.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 31 July 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
None of this would have mattered had not Butz, a profane member of President Richard Nixon’s administration, decided to overturn decades of agricultural policy, setting the stage for high fructose corn syrup to make its debut.
—Stephen Mihm, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Nearly 6 million people watched the cartoon’s season premiere last week, which featured ruthless and profane commentary about President Trump.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 31 July 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
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With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The report also detailed how its AI capabilities were being misused by North Korean operatives who used it to obtain remote jobs at tech companies.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Sensitive information could be stored, analyzed, or misused without families fully knowing.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, a Minnesota court struck down the binary trigger ban, arguing that the legislature violated the state constitution’s single-subject clause by burying the ban inside a sprawling spending bill.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
-
And Congress is unlikely to grant him new tariff powers after the courts just ruled that doing so unilaterally violated the separation of powers.—
Brett Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In brief, the basic issue is the Second Amendment in a secular country.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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What Happens Next Researchers say the secular transition is long‑running and generational, not a sudden shift.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Gilliam is not contesting states' rights to ban profane, sexualized or vulgar plates.—
Angele Latham,
The Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Two Beal City high schoolers received thousands of vulgar text messages from an unknown sender for months.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Long-term drought has degraded the old-growth forest where the squirrels live.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Design for Choice, Not Chaos Present customers with multiple options, from digital wallets to local payment rails, without degrading user experience.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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