sinful

adjective

ˈsin-fəl How to pronounce sinful (audio)
Definition of sinfulnext
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable chastised by his minister for his sinful behavior

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sinful Efficiency is religion, and turnovers are almost sinful. — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 6 May 2026 Christian moralists thundered against the sinful pleasures of watching naked female flesh at the Spectacles. — Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026 His father, who believes Sammie's music to be sinful, orders him to drop the guitar, but Sammie can't do it. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026 The least sinful states in 2026 Wyoming was ranked the least sinful state in 2026, followed by New Hampshire, Idaho, Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, Utah, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. — Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sinful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinful
  1. immoral
  2. evil
  3. unlawful
  4. wicked
  5. vile
  6. vicious
  7. bad
  8. dark
Adjective
  • What’s so immoral about a goal scored accidentally with a hand or arm anyway?
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • He was branded a heretic, in part for preaching that the nobility were immoral and so was nobility itself.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of immoral
Adjective
  • The event cast Democrats as too left wing, describing them as communists, anti-American or even evil.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Reuniting Bullock and Kidman as Sally and Gillian Owens, the dark fantasy rom-com catches up with the sisters 28 years after their last face-off with evil forces.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of evil
Adjective
  • He is charged with official misconduct in the first degree, which is punishable by up to 12 months behind bars, if convicted, and unlawful access to a computer in the fourth degree, which carries a maximum sentence of 90 days.
    — Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Investigators accused him of obstruction of justice, unlawful contracting and, among other things, claiming $127,630 in expenses linked to fictitious missions and plane tickets for nearly a dozen trips.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • But Chelsea never wilted, never stopped pushing and probing for an equaliser, and almost found one in the final minutes when substitute Estevao’s wicked curler brought a world-class save out of Raya.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • More than most pictures about crooks and the men who chase them, Melville’s movie gets into the heads of its characters and the heart of their wicked deeds with surgical precision.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • Disgusted that any adult would ever consider exploiting a child in such a vile and predatory way.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • His tenure came to an end when video surfaced of a drunken Galliano berating other customers at a Paris bar with vile antisemitic insults.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • These shortages increase costs and a vicious cycle for folks who need a rung.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Nobody comes off well; if anything, the snooty German Jews almost seem more vicious than the right-wing plotters, who are presented as mercenary and power-hungry rather than ideological.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Jeffrey Katzenberg, then a studio executive at Paramount Pictures, hand-picked the Happy Days star for the job, but at the time, Winkler had a bad feeling about accepting it.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • How many of us make things worse More seasoned Internet users—a fair number who read this site—are quick to dismiss the attack.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • As Florian Wirtz was substituted during Liverpool’s 2-2 opening day draw at Newcastle United, the German midfielder sat on the bench, retrieved a bottle of dark red liquid, and began to drink.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In this version, the couple has moved from Chicago to London for a fresh start—bad things happened in Chicago—and the set features a wide town house with dark corners and William Morris wallpaper.
    — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of dark

Browse Nearby Words

sinfoniettas
sinful
sinfully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sinful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinful. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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