as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
used vulgarisms that embarrassed his family
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vulgarism
As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.
—
Nr Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2020
The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.
—Time, 11 June 2019
Trump himself has deployed vulgarisms for the female anatomy, plus T-shirts calling Democrat Hillary Clinton the same word were regularly spotted at Trump rallies during the 2016 campaign.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 1 June 2018
As her unwillingness to come right out and say a vulgarism suggests, Mrs. Bush was in many ways a throwback.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2018
Nr Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2020
The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.
—Time, 11 June 2019
Trump himself has deployed vulgarisms for the female anatomy, plus T-shirts calling Democrat Hillary Clinton the same word were regularly spotted at Trump rallies during the 2016 campaign.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 1 June 2018
As her unwillingness to come right out and say a vulgarism suggests, Mrs. Bush was in many ways a throwback.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vulgarism
Noun
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For Ukraine, the war has been a curse – a curse to survive and adapt long enough to spare Europe’s borders from Russia’s forces and absolve its allies from springing into greater action.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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Indeed, various curses and slurs could be heard shouted from the audience at London's Royal Festival Hall, even during some segments broadcast to audiences in England and abroad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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His critics might say such language is a disgrace to the presidency.—
Cal Thomas,
Arkansas Online,
24 Feb. 2026
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Speaking with Spanish language sports publication Diario Deportivo Diez the day after the Honduran club football’s worst defeat in CONCACAF, Bubara lauded LAFC for the 6-1 destruction.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Kennedy could be heard hurling swears at the Swedish team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
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And Boring would be that much closer to its 90,000-rider pinkie-swear.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Parents should be prepared to turn the channel or cover their children’s eyes and ears so they are not exposed to these obscenities.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
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And where no parent could sit their kids within 15 feet of the Nuggets’ bench without hearing a torrent of Moe obscenities.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
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Vice Mayor Darian Martin, who is Black, condemned Urbom’s use of the racial epithet.—
Theo Karantsalis,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Davidson’s expletives have dominated what should have been a terrific night for Studiocanal’s I Swear, which pulled a surprise in the shape of Robert Aramayo winning best actor over the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
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Alan Cumming briefly paused Sunday's BAFTA Film Awards on two separate occasions to address the expletives and racial slur that Tourette's syndrome advocate John Davidson yelled during the telecast, according to reports.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even though a minority of people with Tourette syndrome experience coprolalia, media portrayals of Tourette’s disproportionately focus on outbursts of profanity.—
Rena Zito,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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The sound of rubbery squeaking and a few choice profanities emerged from her bedroom.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vulgarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulgarism. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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