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as in shame
a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a sin to waste food when people are starving

Synonyms & Similar Words

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sin

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sin contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sin are crime, offense, scandal, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

When could crime be used to replace sin?

The synonyms crime and sin are sometimes interchangeable, but crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When would offense be a good substitute for sin?

In some situations, the words offense and sin are roughly equivalent. However, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

Where would scandal be a reasonable alternative to sin?

While in some cases nearly identical to sin, scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is vice a more appropriate choice than sin?

The meanings of vice and sin largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sin
Noun
That was the thought behind hosting a roast of skincare trends and sins, which e.l.f. Staff Author, People.com, 12 June 2025 In Roman Catholic traditions, some theologians consider pride — or the idea of unchecked self-importance or arrogance — the original and most serious sin. Juliana Kim, NPR, 28 May 2025
Verb
Páramo is a perfect hypocrite, sinning freely and then heading to the confession booth to take advantage of his faith’s unlimited forgiveness policy. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2024 This is a man who has probably sinned more times and in more areas of life than any human not currently imprisoned. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for sin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sin
Noun
  • The primary concern of the book was pacifism—the rejection of all violence, even to combat evil.
    Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2025
  • This national recognition of the evils of slavery comes during a significant backlash against teaching American history, as well as an erosion of other civil rights, namely a rollback of voting rights in places that have high populations of Black voters.
    Jenny Singer, Glamour, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Their cruelty is wielded without shame or restraint.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
  • His parents, Polish immigrants who fled German conquest and discrimination, took Indian land—and felt shame over doing so, having been uprooted themselves.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The pair argues that Europe risks falling behind not due to a lack of technical capability but because of structural market weaknesses.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 20 June 2025
  • Frank is committed to improving players’ strengths and weaknesses, and this is an area that could facilitate Tel’s development.
    Elias Burke, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • This reclassification grants the Army's U.S. Northern Command expanded authority to enforce immigration laws, including the power to search and temporarily detain those who trespass in the new military zone.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
  • The county judge and county attorney — the officials who handled the thousands of trespassing prosecutions — each got a substantial raise.
    Jack Herrera Jack Herrera, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • Despite decades of investment, more than $74 million across 11 southern African reserves, rhino poaching continues at alarming rates, driven by global horn demand, inequality, corruption and organized crime.
    Emese Maczko, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Her only 'crime' seems to be coming from the 'wrong' country.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.
    Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
    Austin Mock, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • The law aims to curb corruption and undue influence in federal campaigns.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • The mayor has denied the allegations in the past, even after several DOJ officials resigned following the Trump administration’s move to drop the corruption charges.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 28 June 2025
Noun
  • This momentary pause, this saving interruption of the headlong, breathless trajectory of rape or murder, admitted a kind of compassion, pity, even tenderness, halting injustice in its tracks.
    Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
  • One of the earliest warnings about pity in Western philosophy comes from the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus.
    Colin Marshall, The Conversation, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sin. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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