as in blasphemous
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred
a sacrilegious, obscene joke—and told in church at that!
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Recent Examples of sacrilegious
Burstyn concerned a short film directed by Roberto Rossellini called The Miracle (1948) that had been banned in New York as sacrilegious.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
The president's post was interpreted as sacrilegious even by those who usually support him.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The Next Generation was sacrilegious to most Trekkies.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2026
Not playing Notre Dame anymore is sacrilegious.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacrilegious
Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
The president's post was interpreted as sacrilegious even by those who usually support him.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The Next Generation was sacrilegious to most Trekkies.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2026
Not playing Notre Dame anymore is sacrilegious.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacrilegious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sacrilegious
Adjective
-
Many of their performances are blasphemous, and their work only displays hate and mockery of Catholics and the Christian faith.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
This way of approaching the story would help make its portrait of Jesus all the more human, and, to some, all the more blasphemous.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Many other traditionalists have made a version of Scruton’s critique, insisting that contemporary art reflects self-indulgent, relativistic, and impious tendencies.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
While no formal announcement has been made to update its longstanding alcohol ban, Andrew Leber of Tulane University said this is in line with the Kingdom’s past approach to such potentially impious reforms.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The docudrama drew large crowds in France last year despite criticism from some secular and Catholic sources.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
-
Moreover, Christian humanists believe the sacred-secular divide that many Christians embrace is not just artificial but profoundly misguided.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
His father's death during World War II influenced his pursuit of the ministry even amid the officially atheistic communist regime of the Soviet Union, according to his obituary on the OCU website.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
But there has been a recent rise in secular congregations that explicitly mimic religious organizations and rituals to celebrate atheistic worldviews.—
Jacqui Frost,
The Conversation,
11 Jan. 2024
Adjective
-
Shamaly has light brown skin, an irreverent sense of humor, and a loner’s mien.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
-
His passion and pride in the work, down to earth and sometimes irreverent style, and the reverence for small business owners and hard working people only enriched our lives and well as many others as well.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Glenn Turner, the former owner of a pagan and metaphysical shop, is running as a member of the Green Party.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
For decades, the Georgia Guidestones were nothing more than kitschy roadside Americana – a curiosity people visited for fun, intrigue, and the occasional pagan ritual.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sacrilegious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sacrilegious. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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