slur 1 of 2

noun

ˈslər How to pronounce slur (audio)
Definition of slurnext
1
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings a rowdy group of patrons was kicked out of the theater for shouting slurs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace your drunken behavior at the wedding has cast a slur on this family

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slur

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to troll

Related Words
2
as in to insult

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 slur
Noun
Witnesses told investigators that Stewart yelled multiple racial slurs at Lewis during the assault. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 In 2013, Roberts used a racial slur at a state Board of Education meeting after the former Topeka NAACP president addressed the board on the topic of African American history. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
While being interviewed by the Minnesota State Police, Dokken was allegedly slurring her speech, but did not test positive for alcohol. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026 Ali’s long time ring doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, had noticed that his reflexes were slowing and his speech was becoming slurred — going as far as to urge him to quit boxing. — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for slur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slur
  1. insult
  2. stain
  3. troll
  4. affront
  5. sarcasm
  6. taint
  7. sharp
  8. blaspheme
Noun
  • Whether that’s a compliment or an insult depends on your perspective.
    — Omar Kelly August 17, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The Fantasy Football Draft is that magical stretch of hours where friends, enemies and division nemesis all cram into one room to sling insults with the confidence of seasoned analysts.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • More specifically, 55 percent of ready-to-wear consumers note their frustrations with sweat stains.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The most common culprits for grout stains are spills, cleaning residue, and mold/mildew buildup.
    — Abid Haque, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • That’s the message from NOAA Fisheries after many tuna fishermen reportedly trolled their gear too close to massive humpback whales.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Indy, the duck-trolling dog star of Good Boy, received the Best Good Boy in a Horror Movie award.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of troll
Verb
  • Iraq similarly felt scandalized that its sovereignty had been so blatantly affronted and disregarded.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But the pop culture of twelve years ago is baffling, uncanny, affronting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of affront
Noun
  • The other presidents had some semblance of comedic appreciation, whether through cynicism, irony, sarcasm, joke-telling, joke appreciation or storytelling.
    — John Blumenthal, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Like all of Roth’s content, there is a mix of dead seriousness, dry sarcasm, and wondrous joy in equal measure.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of sarcasm
Noun
  • Even though Thiam denied knowledge of it and was cleared of involvement, the taint of the scandal led to his ouster.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • On top of worrying about making great wine, European producers will now have to mitigate against smoke taint, save their grapes from frost, and consider how to future-proof vineyards in a rapidly changing climate.
    — Kate Dingwall, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026
Definition of taint
Verb
  • In the fall, the workers trade in their pruning shears for knives sharp enough to skin a deer in minutes.
    — Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 28 Nov. 2025
  • Today there’s a rich universe of supplemental Pynchon material ranging from prose only an English PhD could unpack, to sharp analysis that makes the experience of reading Pynchon communal and fun.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Definition of sharp
Verb
  • Rushdie has spent almost 40 years under threat of death from Islamic extremists after the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against him, claiming Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses blasphemed Islam and mocked the Prophet Muhammad.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 July 2026
  • For his followers, blaspheming the Holocaust and celebrating Hitler became a way to signal contempt for the political religion of postwar liberalism.
    — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of blaspheme

Phrases Containing slur

Browse Nearby Words

slunk
slur
slur (over)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slur. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on slur

Nglish: Translation of slur for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All