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
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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
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Recent Examples of epithet
Lincoln Heights resident Eric Ruffin said at Tuesday night's village meeting that one of the demonstrators called him a racial epithet.
—
Antonia Hylton, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
Harrison reportedly dealt with racial epithets and death threats for his decision to move on from Dončić.
—Kelly Iko, The Athletic, 9 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
Some took that remark as an innocent allusion to her job promoting fresh produce; others saw it as a pointed comment on a longtime epithet for gay men.
—Anita Gates, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Antonia Hylton, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
Harrison reportedly dealt with racial epithets and death threats for his decision to move on from Dončić.
—Kelly Iko, The Athletic, 9 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
Some took that remark as an innocent allusion to her job promoting fresh produce; others saw it as a pointed comment on a longtime epithet for gay men.
—Anita Gates, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
Noun
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That includes name, image and likeness but also voice, signature, nickname and other unique personal aspects.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Flintoff – better known by his nickname Freddie – was seriously injured in a motoring accident in 2022, during filming of the BBC car show Top Gear.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But some Republican registrars took them as an insult, and at least one, Lisa Amatruda of Woodbury, walked out.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2025
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The imitation Punisher logo on Cole’s bullet was no act of flattery, but the most vile of insults.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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It was confirmed by The Times of London that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle changed their surname to Sussex for the sake of their children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
8 Apr. 2025
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This story has been corrected to show the surname of The Atlantic journalist is Goldberg, not Rosenberg.—
Zeke Miller,
Twin Cities,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Richmond Times Dispatch hosted a reader contest to find a moniker for the new mascot and several front runners were considered including Rock Hoppers, Rhinos, and Hush Puppies.—
Brennan Long,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2025
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Despite lacking professional wrestling training, she was quickly introduced to the WWE audience on the ECW brand under the moniker Kelly Kelly.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Examples include belittling comments, patronizing questions, frequent interruptions, eye-rolling, sarcasm and mean jokes.—
Charles Trepany,
USA TODAY,
25 Mar. 2025
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The episode also saw the sisters reflect on their relationship, which, as is typical with sisters, is filled with plenty of sarcasm and quips.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
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