1
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
a rap song that is filled with profanities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in vulgarity
the quality or state of being obscene
once notorious for its profanity, that 1950s best seller will strike today's readers as lamentably tame
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of profanity
The Ada County Highway District said in a news release that in addition to profanities and inappropriate gestures, road-work crews have been subject to more dangerous driving behavior, including aggressive actions that have led to more police response — and even to criminal charges.
—
Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2025
The members explode with laughter after Hyungwon’s use of profanity.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Colman only drops profanity’s crown jewel a few times in The Roses.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025
Mostly no, though Cumberbatch and Colman put their own vinegary spin on McNamara’s tasty dialogue, which, as anyone who has seen The Favourite, Poor Things or Hulu’s The Great might guess, is laced with spectacular flights of profanity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profanity
Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2025
The members explode with laughter after Hyungwon’s use of profanity.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Colman only drops profanity’s crown jewel a few times in The Roses.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025
Mostly no, though Cumberbatch and Colman put their own vinegary spin on McNamara’s tasty dialogue, which, as anyone who has seen The Favourite, Poor Things or Hulu’s The Great might guess, is laced with spectacular flights of profanity.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profanity
Noun
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After coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the 2004 American League Championship Series, the Red Sox not only broke their World Series curse that year, but went on to defeat the Yankees in the teams' next two postseason battles in 2018 and 2021.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The Grudge Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is an American nurse living in Tokyo who is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse.—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Songs marked explicit mean their lyrics include swear words or other vulgarities.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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The presence of these planes flying close to our Caribbean Sea is a vulgarity, a provocation, a threat to the security of the nation.—
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Feller told Al Jazeera that Chinese employers would have to accommodate non-Mandarin speakers by offering English-language positions and improve work-life balance.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
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One of the most prominent Mexican actresses of her generation, Notni led Amazon MGM’s 2024 reboot of Zorro and recently wrapped Day One, a Spanish-language Amazon series which releases later this year.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In fact, plenty of other things in your home surpass the toilet in terms of grossness.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
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Brain rot has become unavoidable, its grossness ubiquitous.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Don’t pretend the cure for coarse speech is a swear jar.—
Eric Preven,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
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Taylor and Hinkle swear by bonnets, while Royal and others recommend tying longer styles into a loose bun or braid before wrapping.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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On Saturday, McIlroy repeatedly had to step away from his golf ball as spectators shouted obscenities and personal insults at the Irishman.—
Jenna West,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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In addition to taking the guinea pigs, the perpetrators wrote obscenities and a racial slur on a whiteboard.—
Alexandra Hardle,
AZCentral.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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His partner, Shane Lowry, was also spewing expletives back at fans commenting on his weight, while standing up for McIlroy, one of his best friends, as well.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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The difference between an explicit and clean version of a song is that the former contains expletives or vulgarities, while the latter does not.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There’s some rudeness, aggressive conversations, and crudeness, but nothing too over the top.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profanity. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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