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
Just this insane profanity-laden tirade that went on and on and on.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Ball ended up being fined $60,000 for his actions during the game ($35,000 for the foul, $25,000 for postgame profanity on TV) and assessed a flagrant foul.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
He was fined $25,000 for using profanity in an on-court postgame interview.
—Steve Reed, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
At one point, a man appears to emerge from the home and yell profanities in Spanish in the direction of the dump truck.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profanity
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Ball ended up being fined $60,000 for his actions during the game ($35,000 for the foul, $25,000 for postgame profanity on TV) and assessed a flagrant foul.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
He was fined $25,000 for using profanity in an on-court postgame interview.
—Steve Reed, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
At one point, a man appears to emerge from the home and yell profanities in Spanish in the direction of the dump truck.
—Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profanity
Noun
-
As Rachel learns about the family curse that threatens her and her betrothed, Morrone digs in with emotional complexity and real grit.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Nestled between the layers is a genuinely heartfelt story that blooms from beneath all the aesthetic and verbal vulgarity, thus making innate, and intuitive, his ongoing, ever-evolving manifesto on the state of things.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
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In addition, prosecutors say swastikas, antisemitic slogans and vulgarity were spray-painted on pillars underneath M-53 and Canal, a brick wall near a business and an electrical box at a second business.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While Liden’s displacement and depersonalization of private property in Unheimlich Manöver could be perceived as the inversion of Darboven’s cocooning, the artists share a preoccupation with the silent speech of objects and with language as a spatial entity.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and included in the New York Times list of Notable Children’s Books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
There are no great surprises from here on out, though the sheer, lusty grossness of the fallout is occasionally startling.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
If an exclamation point only signified gore and grossness, this gothic rock opera would more than qualify.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The event finds more than 20,000 people participating in an annual bar crawl throughout the city while dressed in their best holiday attire, tackiest Santa Claus costumes, and ugliest Christmas swears.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Kennedy could be heard hurling swears at the Swedish team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While the council remained inside to finish the meeting, including approving a local emergency declaration, police were outside where a small mob gathered, yelling obscenities at the officers.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
-
Across the state, officers directed obscenities, insults and threats at students just before or after using physical force, records and video footage show.—
Clare Amari,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Noun
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And the Panthers’ fourth-year quarterback let loose with a couple of expletives that grabbed everyone’s attention, including media members standing nearby.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Most who try, though, end up offering this simple structure, often involving an expletive and an inflection that nearly crosses the vocal threshold from overwhelming admiration into admonition.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
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 3 Jun. 2026.
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