as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
used vulgarisms that embarrassed his family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
Everything changes when a man from the protagonist's past (Harington) comes back from war, and a curse arrives in the form of a knight.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Nico Harrison is gone, but his curse on the Mavericks lingers.—
Kevin Sherrington,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nationally, median early career wages range from $40,000 for a foreign language degree to $80,000 for a computer science degree, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Administration officials have cut that time roughly in half, partly by eliminating Spanish-language courses.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In both The Wire and 25th Hour, Whitlock uttered his catchphrase swear.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Some swear by using coffee grounds to give their Christmas cactus encouragement during the blooming season.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Why did so many people in states with Democrat-majority governments want to keep the COVID emergency going, want it so badly that all rational arguments offered in support of reopening were ignored or answered with obscenity-laden accusations of grandma-killing?—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Pandering obscenity is a felony and could mean eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine for McCollister if he is convicted.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Just a few days earlier in California, a house that had been decorated with lights celebrating Chanukah was riddled with bullets, with the assailant having been heard to yell anti-Jewish epithets.—
Rabbi Steve Roth,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The doc has also earned the ire of Chase’s former Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, who firmly distanced herself from it and all attempts to reinvestigate Chase’s firing from the show amid accusations of hurling racial epithets.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Another protest in California on Tuesday saw agitators burning an American flag and shouting expletives through a megaphone.—
Anders Hagstrom , Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The whole issue of award show expletives came to the Supreme Court twice, the last time in 2012, when the justices struck down fines on Fox Television Stations over expletives uttered by Cher and Nicole Richie during the Billboard Music Awards, as well as nudity that aired on ABC’s NYPD Blue.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Trump has occasionally used profanity in public settings, often in response to criticism, confrontation or to emphasize his point.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
-
While some online scolds didn’t like Johnson’s profanity, this has played well in Chicago, a city that has been ravenous for a winning Bears team since the 20th Super Bowl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vulgarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulgarism. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
