profane 1 of 2

1
2
3

profane

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

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 profane
Adjective
However, Touch deserves some credit for a compelling opening scene and an odd turn by Paul Mazursky as a sleazy, profane record exec. 21. Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025 Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds sought relief from 'violent, profane, sexist' communications The ruling comes after Lively and Reynolds sought protection from Baldoni and his legal team in a February letter to Judge Liman. Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
Her husband, the exuberant and often profane former Dodgers manager who won two World Series championships, died Jan. 7 at 93. Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021 The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic. Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020 See All Example Sentences for profane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profane
Adjective
  • The camerlengo also administers the goods and temporal rights of the Holy See until a new pope is chosen.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Unlike image or text generation, music operates within strict temporal and structural constraints.
    Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Deputies found and arrested Betancourt, who was sentenced March 21 to six years and eight months in state prison for felony child abuse causing injury, felony domestic violence, witness intimidation, and possession of obscene matter depicting persons under age 18 engaged in lewd conduct.
    Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Lovable, charming and generous, yet temperamental, arrogant and obscene.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Stuart Miller, Boynton Beach Seven memorable words Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The show followed an ensemble of one-percenters at the titular resort in Hawaii, observing how their privilege blinds them to reality and corrupts everyone around them, leading to conflicts, cruelty, and, eventually, violence.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In evaluating the draft class, that’s not because the Cowboys have been misusing their time in the initial offseason under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Identity theft protection services offer continuous monitoring of your credit reports, Social Security number and even the dark web to detect if your information is being misused.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In a series of lawsuits following the order, plaintiffs, including 22 Democratic state attorneys general and immigrant rights advocates, argued that Trump's order violates a right protected by the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment: anyone born in the United States is a citizen.
    Terry Moseley, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The sheriff’s office said it’s launched an internal investigation, but so far has not found any signs that the veteran deputy violated any policies.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At the same time, global polarization around topics like migration and climate change has only grown since 2013, showing the limits of his influence in secular life.
    Sophie Hills, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The rumor that any secular art form was of the devil was easier to believe than a young Black man from Hazelhurst, Mississippi finding God through his guitar rather than the church.
    Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Europeans were enchanted by the expressive fluency that the New York critics had considered vulgar.
    David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The chief spoke at the LAPD’s Police Commission weekly meeting Tuesday, a day after news broke that officers from the department’s recruitment and employment division had been unknowingly recorded making vulgar comments, including while talking about police applicants.
    Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Government lawyers argue that Meta's services have degraded in quality in part because of its dominant position in the marketplace.
    Bobby Allyn, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025
  • According to the National Institutes of Health, ALS progressively degrades, then kills nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on profane

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!