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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of profanity
The first technical foul was also assessed for directing profanity at an official, Brothers said.
—
Jovan Buha, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Simard isn't the only notable figure to drop an uncensored bit of profanity on live television in recent months.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Those changes included price cuts or hikes of a few dollars, profanities and altering allergens in certain items.
—Adeel Hassan, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The National Republican Senatorial Committee — the campaign arm that backs GOP candidates in the upper chamber — criticized Sage’s use of profanity and reaffirmed support for Ernst.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profanity
Jovan Buha, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Simard isn't the only notable figure to drop an uncensored bit of profanity on live television in recent months.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Those changes included price cuts or hikes of a few dollars, profanities and altering allergens in certain items.
—Adeel Hassan, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The National Republican Senatorial Committee — the campaign arm that backs GOP candidates in the upper chamber — criticized Sage’s use of profanity and reaffirmed support for Ernst.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profanity
Noun
-
The following list contains killer robots, talking cats, deadly curses and period crime dramas.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
-
The 18-inch model leaves a cavernous space beneath the bed that can accommodate several tote-style storage containers—which could be a blessing or a curse depending on the usual state of your bedroom floor.—
Louryn Strampe,
Wired News,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Eli doesn’t flinch at their graphic vulgarity but smiles warmly and appreciatively, as only John Goodman can smile.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
5 May 2025
-
His video streams are peppered with expletives, vulgarities and other language that many have disavowed in the name of political correctness.—
Jack Crosbie,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The project exemplifies emerging Catalan talent at Cannes, offering a glimpse into new narrative voices committed to fresh cinematic language.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
15 May 2025
-
Proponents have long invoked civil rights language to promote vouchers, a disturbing rhetorical choice given vouchers originated as a tool for southern white parents to avoid the Supreme Court's desegregation order in Brown v. Board of Education.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Noun
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The word was forbidden in their household and treated like a swear.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
22 Apr. 2025
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Is this the kind of situation where mild swears seem generally used?—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Such was the case this past weekend, as the Bronx faithful showered the $765-million man with deafening boos, taunts and obscenities.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
19 May 2025
-
The shooting happened around 7 p.m., when officers were called to the 300 block of Oyster Point Boulevard for a report of a man who was yelling obscenities and trying to use a metal object to force his way into a public restroom, the South San Francisco Police Department said in a statement.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The Knicks fan then began a series of expletives, roasting the ESPN insider.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 May 2025
-
During an argument in the car, Lanez allegedly directed expletives at Megan and her friend.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Noun
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And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.—
Virginia Konchan,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2024
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My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.—
Jim Meddleton,
The Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2024
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
-
The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Cite this Entry
“Profanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profanity. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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