sin

1 a breaking of a moral or legal code a child old enough to know that lying is a sin Synonyms breach, crime, debt, error, lawbreaking, malefaction, misdeed, misdoing, offense, transgression, trespass, violation, wrongdoingRelated Words bias crime, hate crime; felony, misconduct, misdemeanor, misfeasance; fault, foible, peccadillo; break, infringement; immorality, iniquitousness, iniquity, sinfulness, vice, wickedness; corruption, debauchery, depravity, licentiousness; abuse, criminality, illegality, lawlessness, unlawfulness; descent, downfall, fallNear Antonyms blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness, impeccability, innocence, irreproachability; goodness, morality, righteousness, virtue, virtuousnessAntonyms noncrime

2 that which is morally unacceptable a minister who worries that modern society has abandoned the concept of sin Synonyms bad, evildoing, ill, immorality, iniquity, evil, villainy, wrongRelated Words atrociousness, atrocity, badness, balefulness, darkness, depravedness, devilishness, diabolism, enormity, evilness, heinousness, iniquitousness, satanism, sinfulness, vileness, wickedness; devilry (or deviltry), fiendishness; cancer, canker, decay, rot, squalor; corruption, debauchery, degeneracy, depravity, indecency, malefaction, perversion, pervertedness, scurrility, scurrilousness; abomination, anathema, taboo (also tabu)Near Antonyms decency, goodness, honesty, integrity, probity, rectitude, uprightness; goodness, righteousness, virtuousnessAntonyms good, morality, right, virtue

3 immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society a sordid section of the city that is mainly known for sin and degradation Synonyms corruption, debauchery, depravity, immorality, iniquitousness, iniquity, libertinage, libertinism, licentiousness, profligacy, viceRelated Words bad, badness, blackness, evil, evildoing, ill, turpitude, villainy, wickedness, wrong; atrociousness, evilness, heinousness, sinfulness, unscrupulousness, viciousness, vileness, villainousness; devilry (or deviltry), fiendishness; corruptness, debasement, degeneracy, degeneration, depravedness, dissoluteness, dissolution; indecency, lasciviousness, lechery, lewdness, looseness, perversion, pervertedness, wantonness; abomination, anathema, taboo (also tabu); criminality, reprehensibleness; baseness, despicableness, dirtiness, lowness, meanness; lousiness, miserableness, wretchednessNear Antonyms good, right; honesty, honor, integrity, legitimacy, probity, rectitude, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, uprightness; goodness, righteousness, virtuousness; blamelessness; chastity, innocence, perfection, pureness, purity, spotlessness; cleanness, correctness, decency, decorousness, propriety, rightness, seemlinessAntonyms morality, virtue

4 a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a sin to waste food when people are starving Synonyms disgrace, pity, shame, crimeRelated Words outrage, scandal

5 a defect in character my besetting sin is impatience—I hate to wait for anything Synonyms demerit, dereliction, failing, foible, frailty, shortcoming, fault, vice, want, weaknessRelated Words blot, spot, stain; blemish, deficiency, flaw, imperfection, minus, nit; Achilles' heel, soft spot; corruption, depravity, evil, immorality, sinfulness, wickednessNear Antonyms excellence, perfection; goodness, integrity, morality, probity, rectitude, righteousnessAntonyms merit, virtue