1
as in nicknames
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 insults
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 epithets
Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.
—
Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Just a few days earlier in California, a house that had been decorated with lights celebrating Chanukah was riddled with bullets, with the assailant having been heard to yell anti-Jewish epithets.
—Rabbi Steve Roth, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
The doc has also earned the ire of Chase’s former Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, who firmly distanced herself from it and all attempts to reinvestigate Chase’s firing from the show amid accusations of hurling racial epithets.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
Even the epithets for the Kansas City Chiefs are built on divisional rivalry and that team’s long track record of success, not sneering dismissiveness.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
According to research from Copyleaks, an AI analysis firm that helps businesses and institutions navigate the shifting landscape of this emergent technology, a new trend has produced Sora videos of celebrities appearing to spew hateful racist epithets.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Then there was the woman who was Speaker of the House and would walk around talking to herself, screaming out epithets to imaginary people.
—Larry David, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Just a few days earlier in California, a house that had been decorated with lights celebrating Chanukah was riddled with bullets, with the assailant having been heard to yell anti-Jewish epithets.
—Rabbi Steve Roth, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
The doc has also earned the ire of Chase’s former Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, who firmly distanced herself from it and all attempts to reinvestigate Chase’s firing from the show amid accusations of hurling racial epithets.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
Even the epithets for the Kansas City Chiefs are built on divisional rivalry and that team’s long track record of success, not sneering dismissiveness.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
According to research from Copyleaks, an AI analysis firm that helps businesses and institutions navigate the shifting landscape of this emergent technology, a new trend has produced Sora videos of celebrities appearing to spew hateful racist epithets.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Then there was the woman who was Speaker of the House and would walk around talking to herself, screaming out epithets to imaginary people.
—Larry David, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithets
Noun
-
The inside jokes, the nicknames, the handshakes, singing the songs together.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The inside jokes, the nicknames, the handshakes, singing the songs together.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Laughs and insults, all expressed at a high volume, were guaranteed to follow.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Leilah Herrera, a player who left the USF team in 2021, said in a deposition video that the insults would fly every practice.—
Julia Haney,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hispanic surnames Huff accused Zamora of mounting a primary challenge against her — rather than seeking an open seat or one held by a Latino judge — because of Huff’s race.—
Molly Smith,
San Antonio Express-News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
For her and many other Iranians who spoke to CNN – their surnames withheld to protect their identities – the past three weeks have been filled with a sense of hopelessness and fear.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Similarly moralistic monikers were used in the war in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and the 2003 invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom).—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, moved out of Royal Lodge in February 2026, three months after Charles stripped him of his royal titles, including his HRH and prince monikers, in November 2025.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Epithets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithets. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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