as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
chastised by his minister for his sinful behavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
And what good mischief doesn't begin with a little sinful bite?
—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Gettin’ sinful all of a sudden.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Tantric cultural and spiritual traditions, which began to emerge in the early centuries of the Common Era, take a positive perspective on the material world in general and the human body in particular, as opposed to traditions that regard both as inherently illusory or sinful.
—Anya Foxen, The Conversation, 9 Dec. 2025
In New York, the story goes that the sloppily sinful sandwich on rye bread was named for the founder of New York’s Reuben Restaurant.
—Terry Ward, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sinful
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Gettin’ sinful all of a sudden.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Tantric cultural and spiritual traditions, which began to emerge in the early centuries of the Common Era, take a positive perspective on the material world in general and the human body in particular, as opposed to traditions that regard both as inherently illusory or sinful.
—Anya Foxen, The Conversation, 9 Dec. 2025
In New York, the story goes that the sloppily sinful sandwich on rye bread was named for the founder of New York’s Reuben Restaurant.
—Terry Ward, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sinful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinful
Adjective
-
Pope Francis changed the church’s social teaching to declare capital punishment immoral in all cases.—
Nicole Winfield,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
For him, in becoming photosynthetic, civilized beings would only gain in hallmarks of intelligence, like autonomy and compassion, given that a species living off starlight converts energy to work without the messy, immoral mediation of a food chain.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For one thing, when extremely evil people never seem to get their righteous and fiery comeuppance, my rage can curdle a bit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
Because instead of some hot, evil British woman who could show him the time of his life, Vish is stuck on this trip with me, the world’s first living fossil.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
In February of this year, a district court ruled that DHS's third-country removal practices were unlawful, but the ruling was stayed pending the government's appeal, allowing the deportations to continue.—
Julia Ingram,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
Evanston police initially detained five males, and three of them were later charged by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office on several felony and misdemeanor counts of drug and unlawful weapon possession.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The 23-year-old is said to be wicked smart, like Purdy, the 49ers star who led San Francisco to a Super Bowl less than two years after going last in the 2022 draft out of Iowa Sate.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This wicked man is named Tobias Thornhill.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
There’s something vile, yet attractive about the film, an encapsulation of the fact that people and the internet are downright weird.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The betrayal of Zambada sparked a vicious battle for control of the Sinaloa cartel that has resulted in thousands of deaths.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Back in 2023, he was suspended during the playoffs for a vicious cross-check to the head of Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its 28-game start matches the expansion 1962 Mets — who lost 120 games — along with 1964 and 1983 for the second-worst in team history behind an 8-20 opening in 1981.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Ossai isn’t a bad pass rusher either, getting five sacks in each of the last two seasons, a total that somehow would’ve ranked second on the Jets last season.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But what exactly happens to these baby stars next isn't always clear (literally) because they are buried deep within clouds of dark, dusty gas that obscure them.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
All the bedrooms can be found upstairs, including one that’s currently being used as an office and a primary suite flaunting dual dressing rooms and baths, plus a sauna clad in dark gray stone.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sinful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinful. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
