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
  • Some rabbinic readings attribute Lot’s hesitation to leave Sodom to his immoral greed and inordinate wealth.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Court records show that 60-year-old Bradley Kyle Martin, of Dearborn Heights, is charged with using a computer or internet to communicate with another person to commit a crime and accosting children for immoral purposes.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Definition of immoral
Adjective
  • Through Latin and early Christian usage, the word took on its modern sense of an evil supernatural spirit.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • When it was overturned, however, the United States rightly or wrongly became the evil empire to the rest of world soccer.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026
Definition of evil
Adjective
  • Federal authorities routinely target South Florida remittance companies that operate as conduits for unlawful money transfers, especially for drug traffickers, because many are suspected of evading bank-reporting requirements.
    — Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
  • Renner was charged with second-degree manslaughter and Seymore with unlawful imprisonment, among other charges.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • Soon a wicked stepmother named Elvera and her brood came into the Jones family’s life.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026
  • Yamal was a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side, drifting infield to unleash shots from distance but also peppering the penalty area with wicked deliveries from the right flank.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • Frazier eagerly reposted a vile lie claiming Israelis drop bombs disguised as toys to murder children—originally posted by a UK activist facing terror charges for backing Hamas.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • The congressmen and senators who support this provision should be voted out of office because Section 224 is so vile.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • The early Cold War liberals had read their history books and seen how the French Revolution had begun with high progressive hopes but descended into a vicious bloodbath.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • After a similarly vicious storm struck the New York area late Friday, hundreds of thousands of utility customers were left without power, trains to New Jersey were canceled and thousands of trees were damaged or uprooted.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Despite concerns that California’s costs and regulations are bad for business, the state has attracted an unprecedented pile of capital this year, and no other state is even close.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The Giants are now 39-54 this season, two games up on Colorado (38-57) for the worst record in the NL and second-worst in MLB.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Aerial footage showed heavy damage to the suspect's vehicle, a dark gray sedan.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • They're headed to a battery recycler who will shred them into a fine, dark powder called black mass, from which those minerals can be recovered and reused in new batteries.
    — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 13 July 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 15 Jul. 2026.

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