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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Examples 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 epithet
The algorithms that underpin LLMs will by default offer up nasty or potentially harmful output such as racist epithets or instructions for building bombs, and fine-tuning from human testers is typically used to teach them behave better.
—
Will Knight, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
Clark, a 22-year employee of the company, described being passed over for promotions and harassed at work, including being called numerous racial epithets.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 28 Oct. 2024
At the time, pollsters did not necessarily welcome the epithet.
—W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
Across the country, people have endured antisemitic epithets as well as anti-Muslim rhetoric, in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war abroad.
—Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for epithet 
Will Knight, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
Clark, a 22-year employee of the company, described being passed over for promotions and harassed at work, including being called numerous racial epithets.
—Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 28 Oct. 2024
At the time, pollsters did not necessarily welcome the epithet.
—W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
Across the country, people have endured antisemitic epithets as well as anti-Muslim rhetoric, in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war abroad.
—Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
Noun
-
Opting for relationship terms (auntie) or unrelated nicknames (little cabbage) is the default.—
Shayla Love,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2025
-
One nickname — Zombie tranq — reflects shambling from deep sedation.—
Pat Beall,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Videos of their vigorous, cheerful efforts soon went viral, drew international coverage and were a forceful counterpoint to Trump’s xenophobic insults.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Tyson and Paul repeatedly traded barbs and insults to each other leading up to the Nov. 15 boxing match, which was delayed by four months after the legendary former heavyweight champion was diagnosed with an ulcer flare-up.—
Danielle Jennings,
People.com,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The trigger for the protests was the death of a teenage student, whose surname was Dang and who was in his third year at the school.—
Shawn Deng,
CNN,
11 Jan. 2025
-
Editors’ Picks The tourist, who only gave her surname, Xu, shared a video showing several single-story brick buildings with collapsed walls.—
Bhadra Sharma,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The musician recently revealed that Hurry Up Tomorrow will likely be his final album under the moniker of the Weeknd.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
-
There are some more singular monikers among the remaining clubs.—
Nick Miller,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
So when he was asked about changing the starting lineup for Monday night’s game against the LA Clippers, Finch slathered on an extra layer of sarcasm to his response.—
Jon Krawczynski,
The Athletic,
7 Jan. 2025
-
Sitting in chairs in the classroom, the student playing the role of a police officer used some sarcasm when approaching his classmate, who was acting as the driver.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near epithet
Cite this Entry
“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share