SIN Synonyms: 185 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'sin' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sin are crime , offense , scandal , and vice . While all these words mean "a transgression of law," sin implies an offense against moral or religious law. // the sin of blasphemy

Q: When could 'crime' be used to replace 'sin'?

The synonyms crime and sin are sometimes interchangeable, but crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state. // the crime of murder

Q: When would 'offense' be a good substitute for 'sin'?

In some situations, the words offense and sin are roughly equivalent. However, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code. // at that school no offense went unpunished

Q: Where would 'scandal' be a reasonable alternative to 'sin'?

While in some cases nearly identical to sin , scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience. // a career ruined by a sex scandal

Q: When is 'vice' a more appropriate choice than 'sin'?

The meanings of vice and sin largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts. // regarded gambling as a vice

sin 1 of 2

noun

ˈsin

Definition of sin

as in crime

a breaking of a moral or legal code a child old enough to know that lying is a sin

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as in evil

that which is morally unacceptable a minister who worries that modern society has abandoned the concept of sin

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as in sinfulness

immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society a sordid section of the city that is mainly known for sin and degradation

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as in shame

a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a sin to waste food when people are starving

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as in weakness

a defect in character my besetting sin is impatience—I hate to wait for anything

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sin

2 of 2

verb

as in to trespass

to commit an offense bless me, Father, for I have sinned

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sin contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sin are crime, offense, scandal, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

When could crime be used to replace sin?

The synonyms crime and sin are sometimes interchangeable, but crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When would offense be a good substitute for sin?

In some situations, the words offense and sin are roughly equivalent. However, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

Where would scandal be a reasonable alternative to sin?

While in some cases nearly identical to sin, scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is vice a more appropriate choice than sin?

The meanings of vice and sin largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

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 sin

Noun

Drawing from Baldwin’s own experiences, the novel explores a young man’s spiritual and personal awakening while examining the lasting impact of history, sin, and love. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 24 July 2026 Among Ashley’s many sins, none were more wicked than the alienation of club legends, particularly Keegan. — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Verb

In fact, to pour away the treasured ingredient inside would be close to sin. — Brennan Long, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2025 During the week, Barton often painted an image of himself as more sinned against than sinning. — Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sin

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sin

Noun

Chainalysis attributes 84% of illicit crypto transaction volume to stablecoins, the endpoint of a shift the crime economy started making years ago, and stablecoins now settle more monthly volume than ACH.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
The case is drawing attention to youth crime and the juvenile justice system, raising questions about how young offenders are held accountable.

— Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of crime

Noun

Despite this, some pundits have theorized that Netflix’s aversion to theaters has hurt its films’ chances because the industry sees the company as a force for evil in the cinematic space.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026
Schaldemose plays grieving widow Anna who returns to Hel Island to bury her late husband after his suicide, and is promptly cast out by the eccentric locals for being a symbol of bad luck and evil.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of evil

Noun

But soon after, in Genesis 18, God tells Abraham of plans to investigate reports of sinfulness in Sodom and Gomorrah.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.

— Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026

Definition of sinfulness

Noun

Portugal are stacked with world-class talent in midfield, and there is no shame in losing out on a spot to Vitinha, Bernardo Silva, Joao Neves or Bruno Fernandes.

— Elias Burke, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
The idea with the channels seems to be that making the secret, private shame of scrolling into a collaborative activity will give it a new place in the home.

— Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of shame

Noun

Still, analysts warned that the coordinated action may prove no more durable than previous interventions unless Japan addresses the structural forces driving yen weakness.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
The core challenge is agents' ability to exploit existing weaknesses at scale, necessitating improved governance and careful permission management.

— Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakness

Verb

The area along the Cumberland River where more than 100 people once lived is now encircled by fences and no-trespassing signs.

— Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 21 July 2026
Since then, no one has been cited, trespassed or arrested for bringing weapons into the park, city and police officials told the Orlando Sentinel.

— Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026

Definition of trespass

Noun

The lawsuit asserts claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and violations of state and local laws protecting freelance workers, as well as California’s Unfair Competition Law.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026
Grisham is currently suing Miller over violations of the terms of a confidential settlement related to his defamation case against her.

— Rachel Scott, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of violation

Noun

In addition to public goods, AI will also create public bads.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
Naturally, the meeting is a flop because no one was prepared, and their spontaneous ideas are frankly fireable-offense bad (a baguette bag shaped like a baguette for Paris?

— Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025

Definition of bad

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“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sin. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of sin

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to sin

What is 'Sin'?

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on sin

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

anecdote

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

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The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes