as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
unleashed a slew of expletives upon losing the tennis match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 expletive
Instead, Fagen could be heard uttering an expletive and then hanging up on Price.
—
David Chiu, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
The first sideline interaction looked familiar: Kelly got in the face of wide receiver Chris Hilton with a stern lecture that featured a couple of expletives.
—Bruce Feldman, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Eliasberg said public school teachers have strong 1st Amendment protections to share their political views online — expletives and all.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
And, yes, there were times when expletives and ethnic slurs filled the air under pressure of a rapidly approaching deadlines.
—Si Liberman, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for expletive 
David Chiu, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
The first sideline interaction looked familiar: Kelly got in the face of wide receiver Chris Hilton with a stern lecture that featured a couple of expletives.
—Bruce Feldman, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Eliasberg said public school teachers have strong 1st Amendment protections to share their political views online — expletives and all.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
And, yes, there were times when expletives and ethnic slurs filled the air under pressure of a rapidly approaching deadlines.
—Si Liberman, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
-
Stubborn independence is, however, a blessing and a curse.Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
-
However, this long history can be both a blessing and a curse.Mike Whitmire, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The station asked the band not to include the swears.Kris Holt, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
-
There’s a heavy focus on Asia’s first One&Only spa, featuring a green caviar body exfoliation and an Augustinus Bader facial celebs swear by.Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
While any language can work, Python is widely favored for its simplicity and robust library support.Sandro Shubladze, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
-
The language that literature provides is a very specific type of symbolic and relational ecosystem.Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Levesque confirmed that the show will maintain its TV-PG rating, and current restrictions on profanity and blood will remain in place.Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2024
-
Police also used heavy force against members of the media and used loudspeakers to shout profanities and insults at the crowds.Sophiko Megrelidze, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.NR Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2020
-
The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.Time, Time, 11 June 2019
Noun
-
And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.Virginia Konchan, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
-
My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.Jim Meddleton, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2024
Articles Related to expletive
Thesaurus Entries Near expletive
Cite this Entry
“Expletive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expletive. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share