irreverent
adjective
ir·rev·er·ent
i-ˈre-v(ə-)rənt 
ˌi(r)-,
-ˈre-vərnt
: lacking proper respect or seriousness
also
: satiric
irreverently
adverb
Synonyms of irreverent
Examples of irreverent in a Sentence
He has a delightfully irreverent sense of humor.
irreverent behavior during church services
Recent Examples on the Web
Charming, disarming, outgoing, chatty, funny, a little irreverent.
—
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Leonard Bernstein was commissioned to write a theatrical piece for the center’s opening in 1971, which turned out to be an irreverent ‘Mass’ — musically, liturgically, culturally and, most assuredly, politically.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
Viewers got a weekly explosion of boundary-pushing sketch comedy through irreverent skits delivered by a motley crew of characters with then-burgeoning hip-hop as the backdrop.
—Starr Rocque, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irreverent
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.
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Leonard Bernstein was commissioned to write a theatrical piece for the center’s opening in 1971, which turned out to be an irreverent ‘Mass’ — musically, liturgically, culturally and, most assuredly, politically.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
Viewers got a weekly explosion of boundary-pushing sketch comedy through irreverent skits delivered by a motley crew of characters with then-burgeoning hip-hop as the backdrop.
—Starr Rocque, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for irreverent
Cite this Entry
“Irreverent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irreverent. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
irreverent
adjective
ir·rev·er·ent
(ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)ev-(ə-)rənt
-ərnt
: showing lack of reverence
irreverent joking and giggling in church
irreverence
noun
-ˈ(r)ev-(ə-)rən(t)s,
-ˈ(r)ev-ərn(t)s
irreverently
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
