blasphemy

noun

ˈblas-fə-mē How to pronounce blasphemy (audio)
Definition of blasphemynext
as in sacrilege
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things in the 17th century the Quakers were persecuted for beliefs and practices that older churches regarded as blasphemies

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 blasphemy For creatives, its use was treated like blasphemy. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026 Interreligious tension exists, with arbitrary detentions of Christians and arrests under the nation’s blasphemy laws. — Mathew Schmalz, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2026 Since none of these passages offered any guidance on what this sin or blasphemy consisted of, there was nothing to stop anxious believers from applying it to their own behavior or experiences. — Literary Hub, 10 Mar. 2026 The electric Ferrari, a first and some might call blasphemy, will be called Luce, which ironically means light in Italian. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blasphemy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blasphemy
  1. sacrilege
  2. desecration
  3. violation
  4. cursing
  5. impiety
  6. corruption
  7. profanation
  8. irreverence
Noun
  • That’s sacrilege on par with an Ohioan disowning football or a Texan recoiling at the smell of brisket, a Kentuckian thumbing his nose at college basketball.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 July 2026
  • Sure, Texans are very hospitable, but playing anything other than country music over the speakers is normally considered sacrilege in that establishment.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of sacrilege
Noun
  • When Debbie, Susan, and Thom come over for a double-date pizza night, only Bret is concerned about the spate of recent home invasions, the missing pets, and the desecration of the griffin mascot.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • He was convicted of offenses including desecration of national symbols, contempt and public ​disorder, and spent five years in the Guanajay prison near Havana.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 19 July 2026
Definition of desecration
Noun
  • Miles says similar texts were sent to others about the recall, and that the texts constitute quid pro quo, a major ethics violation.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The party also viewed Yabloko’s stance on Ukraine as unlawful and tantamount to calling for the violation of Russia’s territorial integrity.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of violation
Noun
  • Hoodoo was not only considered a means of assisting people; it has also been associated with hexing or cursing and, in the 18th and 19th centuries, with poisoning.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Danhausen transcended into the mainstream zeitgeist after cursing and un-cursing the New York Knicks en route to the team winning the NBA Championship after a 52-year drought.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of cursing
Noun
  • By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.
    — Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Definition of impiety
Noun
  • But the judge also noted Krneta’s dual role in facilitating the corruption of Tobolski, both paying bribes and collecting extortion payments from other contractors on the then-mayor’s behalf.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The election demanded by Reform UK's leader, who faces corruption accusations, has turned into a punch line after major parties dismissed it as a stunt and declined to field candidates.
    — Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of corruption
Noun
  • Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.
    — Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
  • No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.
    — John Edgar Wideman, The New Yorker, 8 July 2021
Definition of profanation
Noun
  • Uniting these jokes is a streak of playful irreverence, a facility for tempering challenging ideas with American cultural references, and a reluctance to provide more explanation than necessary.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Cassatt matches this irreverence in her paint handling, describing the upholstery in flickering, restless strokes.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of irreverence

Browse Nearby Words

blasphemousness
blasphemy
blast
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Cite this Entry

“Blasphemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blasphemy. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blasphemy

Nglish: Translation of blasphemy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blasphemy

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