as in atheistical
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred
an impious act that horrified their pious mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 impious
This game must have seemed profane to the Greeks, or even impious.
—
Simone Weil, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Both narratives, private and public, differently restrict our access, so the ideal historian will need great tact and an impious curiosity.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Sarah Thompson, the MFA’s curator of Japanese Art, and curatorial assistant Kendall DeBoer, who put the show’s more than 350 works together, deserve credit for being impious, not reverent.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2023
Some seem startlingly impious.
—Lidija Haas, Harper's Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020
To cut short these death throes is both impious (for those who believe) and immoral (for anyone).
—Michel Houellebecq, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023
Bragadin’s cash was funding heavy gambling and elaborate, impious scenes of seduction.
—Clare Bucknell, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022
Simone Weil, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Both narratives, private and public, differently restrict our access, so the ideal historian will need great tact and an impious curiosity.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Sarah Thompson, the MFA’s curator of Japanese Art, and curatorial assistant Kendall DeBoer, who put the show’s more than 350 works together, deserve credit for being impious, not reverent.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2023
Some seem startlingly impious.
—Lidija Haas, Harper's Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020
To cut short these death throes is both impious (for those who believe) and immoral (for anyone).
—Michel Houellebecq, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023
Bragadin’s cash was funding heavy gambling and elaborate, impious scenes of seduction.
—Clare Bucknell, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impious
Adjective
-
Putting Vice and the Bard in the same sentence sounds sacrilegious, but the movie paints Lynne Cheney as a Lady MacBeth type and requires Adams to recite iambic pentameter about Dick’s capacity to usurp some of George W. Bush’s authority.Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
-
For some, pumpkin pie is the staple, and any other choice would be sacrilegious.Leah Asmelash, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The publication led to global outrage, with many Muslims finding the depictions highly offensive and blasphemous.The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 30 Sep. 2024
-
Rushdie’s fourth fictional novel ran into a global controversy shortly after its publication in September 1988, as some Muslims saw passages about Prophet Muhammad as blasphemous.Reuters, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Christmas movies—secular and religious—are a great way to remind us that there’s more to this time of year than shopping deals and presents.Erik Kain, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
-
Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, meaning it is not affiliated with any religion and is instead observed along with other major secular and religious holidays.Olivia Rose, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Questions as fun and irreverent as these are asked and answered in STAR BOUND: A Beginner’s Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard’s Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything In Between.Rebecca Coffey, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
-
For The Win's daily sports newsletter pairs the latest news from around the sports world with the smartest − yet somewhat irreverent – takes from FTW's staff.Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near impious
Cite this Entry
“Impious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impious. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share