irreverent

adjective

ir·​rev·​er·​ent i-ˈre-v(ə-)rənt How to pronounce irreverent (audio)
ˌi(r)-,
-ˈre-vərnt
: lacking proper respect or seriousness
also : satiric
irreverently adverb

Examples of irreverent in a Sentence

He has a delightfully irreverent sense of humor. irreverent behavior during church services
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The film follows an ensemble of campers who are weary of platitudes about grief, and speak to one another from a place of radical honesty that is by turns heartbreaking and darkly hilarious, embracing irreverent humor as a cathartic means of self-expression. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025 Grok, named after the term coined by sci-fi author Robert A. Heinlein and modeled after the irreverent tone of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is designed to be a companion, a guide — and, apparently, quite a bit of a troublemaker. Anisha Sircar, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 At that time, writers like Ashbery and Frank O’Hara were helping to establish a new idiom in American poetry, something serious without self-seriousness: the new poetry was open to the city’s rhythms, irreverent but tender—and clearly, if not openly, gay. David S. Wallace, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2025 Nihilistic action comedies such as Novocaine are built on juxtaposing irreverent humor with cathartic carnage, which can sometimes feel off-putting and contrived. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for irreverent

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin irreverent-, irreverens, from in- + reverent-, reverens reverent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of irreverent was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Irreverent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irreverent. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

irreverent

adjective
ir·​rev·​er·​ent (ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)ev-(ə-)rənt How to pronounce irreverent (audio)
-ərnt
: showing lack of reverence
irreverent joking and giggling in church
irreverence
-ˈ(r)ev-(ə-)rən(t)s
-ˈ(r)ev-ərn(t)s
noun
irreverently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on irreverent

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