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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
Some held up signs, others wore T-shirts with profane slogans. Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 17 May 2025 The profane banner Khan showcased in his initial video attacked Jews but did not mention Israel or its policies. Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 7 May 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
  • The people who had higher negativity bias were found to have reduced blood flow in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes — regions critical for decision-making, memory and emotional regulation, according to Amen.
    Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2025
  • Stories offer a generosity of space—temporal, emotional, political—that real-time clinical work does not.
    Danielle Ofri, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • The obscene cost of healthcare has pushed manufacturers offshore and kept wages stagnant for decades.
    Ro Khanna, Twin Cities, 12 June 2025
  • In Tacoma, 35 miles to the south, Ted Bundy grew up near the American Smelting and Refining Co., which disgorged obscene levels of lead and arsenic into the air while netting millions for the Guggenheim dynasty before its 1986 closure.
    Hamilton Cain, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • The appointments are likely to increase concern that federal vaccine recommendations will be corrupted and lead to Americans losing access to lifesaving vaccines.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025
  • Rogen lands a few funny lines, but the jokes mostly serve to distract from the point of the story: that freedom is ephemeral and easily corrupted, while humans are inherently piggish (as opposed to the other way around), seizing the first opportunity to take more than their share.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • But like any powerful tool, healing language can also be misused, especially by those with manipulative or abusive tendencies.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • Kasper, who worked in the first Trump administration, had previously been chief of staff to Rep. Duncan Hunter, Jr. Hunter had been convicted of misusing campaign funds and was later pardoned by Trump.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Seven residents sued, claiming that the book removals were based on content and therefore violated their First Amendment rights.
    Anthony Aycock June 17, Literary Hub, 17 June 2025
  • In that suit, plaintiffs claimed that Blue Cross violated antitrust laws.
    Lucas Dufalla, Arkansas Online, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Its followers, estimated to be in the millions in America, hold supernatural beliefs and goals of transforming secular society.
    Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025
  • The San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will also be in attendance offering secular blessings.
    Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • One of them, a graduate student named Hailey, who had the kind of vulgar beauty of fecundity, duly fell pregnant.
    Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
  • Dem rep's vulgar demand to ICE officers leads to calls to expel her from Congress MAJOR HEADLINES 'NEVER SEEN HER' – AOC, progressives ripped for ignoring 'Red Light district' as prostitution, filthy streets return.
    , FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Use of this material has been proposed in the past, but has been hampered by the fact that making CNTs involves metals, and the residue left behind ends up degrading electrical performance.
    Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • Further, Israel’s previous attacks on Iran in April and October 2024 managed to degrade Iran’s ballistic and surface-to-air missiles and air defense radar systems.
    Javed Ali, The Conversation, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

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