1
as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
King Richard I of England was given the very laudatory epithet "the Lion-Hearted"
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2
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
the school has a strict ban against the use of offensive epithets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of epithet
The writer Sarah Hagi posted a thread to X the morning of Jan. 30 containing 12 examples of past posts by Gascón that contained inflammatory language, Islamophobic epithets, and racist suggestions.
—
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Some took that remark as an innocent allusion to her job promoting fresh produce; others saw it as a longtime epithet for gay men.
—Anita Gates, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
There have been racial epithets included in some of those.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 7 Feb. 2025
The rhetorical question was asked tongue-in-cheek, but the suggestion that this great showman could be given the epithet reserved for only the most one-dimensional players underlines his efficiency.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Some took that remark as an innocent allusion to her job promoting fresh produce; others saw it as a longtime epithet for gay men.
—Anita Gates, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
There have been racial epithets included in some of those.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 7 Feb. 2025
The rhetorical question was asked tongue-in-cheek, but the suggestion that this great showman could be given the epithet reserved for only the most one-dimensional players underlines his efficiency.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
Noun
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So Far The village oracle cursed Kratos by literally bonding the ashes of his deceased family to his body, earning him the Ghost of Sparta nickname for his ghostly white visage.—
Diego Argüello,
Rolling Stone,
22 Mar. 2025
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Since then, the side known as Las Blancas — the feminine form of the men’s team’s Los Blancos nickname derived from their all-white kit — have been Champions League regulars but never challenged Barcelona’s domestic dominance.—
Guillermo Rai,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The dispute stems from last year’s feud wherein Drake and Lamar traded increasingly personal and unverified insults in a series of songs.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN,
18 Mar. 2025
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Tariffs on Canadian exports and repeated insults by President Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state have Canadians pushing back with a term hockey fans may be familiar with.—
Jalen Williams,
USA TODAY,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Matt Bomer spouse: In the March 29 Entertainment section, an article about actor Matt Bomer misspelled the surname of his husband, Simon Halls, as Hall.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2025
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Continuing with longstanding tradition within the British royal family, Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan are using Sussex as the surname for their children Prince Archie, 5 and Princess Lilibet, 3, as inspired by their Sussex titles.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For practically her entire life, the mom of three has listed her favorite monikers, compiled them into lists and kept up with the latest baby naming trends.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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The list has been updated to include these characters and the action star’s latest unbelievable moniker in A Working Man.—
Rebecca Pahle,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While slight disparities have been common in the past, the major difference sparked fury among Arab Muslims on social media, sarcasm and confusion for travelers.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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Investors did not appreciate his sarcasm either, and the stock is down 2.6% since GTC25 kicked off.—
Karl Freund,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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