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profane

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verb

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as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example 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 profane
Adjective
Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 Private messages also became part of the trial, with plaintiffs showing internal messages where CNN's reporter, Alex Marquardt, said some profane and unflattering things about Young. CBS News, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
Her husband, the exuberant and often profane former Dodgers manager who won two World Series championships, died Jan. 7 at 93. Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021 The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic. Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020 See all Example Sentences for profane 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profane
Adjective
  • Great vacations exist in a temporal netherworld, unmoored from the reality of daily life.
    Sofia Perez, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2025
  • The Apocalypse was a way out, a temporal doorway to God and Heaven.
    Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The high school student complainants said in the lawsuit that their families’ First Amendment rights have been violated by the law, which has a much broader definition of obscene material than the one defined by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973.
    Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 4 Feb. 2025
  • There might be behavioral symptoms that make someone cancel a flight at the last minute because of their panic or decide to take a train for an obscene number of hours to avoid flying.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Moreover, much of the Republican Party now embraces the idea that America’s institutions—from the federal bureaucracy and public schools to the media and private universities—have been corrupted by left-wing ideologies.
    STEVEN LEVITSKY, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Putin believes in authoritarianism, in a strong Russian state, in the rehabilitation of the country’s Soviet past, and in a Russian civilization that is superior to a West corrupted by secularism and individualism.
    Rich Lowry, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Individuals found misusing public funds should be held accountable, including mandatory repayment of misappropriated funds and potential disciplinary actions.
    Pamella Pema Reid, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Whether Facebook and Instagram owner Meta misused financial data obtained from third parties has come under the microscope of the CFPB.
    Chris Arnold, NPR, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey was among those saying the group had not violated any laws.
    Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Investigators subsequently tracked down and arrested Nathan on a charge of violating an injunction barring contact with the child and her mother.
    David J. Neal and, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In 2006, Hamas wrested control of Gaza from Fatah, the secular party of the Palestinian Authority.
    Claudine Ebeid, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Many even moved between Islamist and secular armed groups.
    NAFEES HAMID, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The footage shows Caldwell calling the nearby Packers fans vulgar and sexist names, while taunting the man accompanying her with explicit gestures.
    Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, let out multiple outbursts during his first appearance in court since he was arrested over the weekend and accused of making a series of vulgar, threatening online statements at Clark, the Indiana Fever superstar.
    Samira Puskar, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • To strip her name from her and contort it into a term that is most often used to degrade artists who look like her is simply dehumanizing.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Topaz Labs View 1 Images Topaz Labs, which makes powerful photo and video enhancement software, just showed off a new AI model that automatically enhances old footage, from your home video collection to archival content that may have degraded over time on traditional media.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near profane

Cite this Entry

“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.

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