as in blasphemy
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things the sect has no tolerance for any irreverence directed toward their spiritual leader

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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 irreverence Feig amps up the irreverence, dialing up the foolishness to truly unserious levels. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025 What differed this time around was how Rousteing’s take on showiness relied strongly on organic form, animal print, and fetishism than its usual out-there irreverence. Julian Randall, Essence, 6 Mar. 2025 More than any one sketch in the early days, what distinguished the show was its irreverence towards itself and its willingness to release scrappy and unfinished work when everything else on TV was so polished. Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025 The interplay between elegance and irreverence, refinement and boldness, comes to life in pieces that embody a conscious femininity. Felicity Carter, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for irreverence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irreverence
Noun
  • Does this sound like blasphemy?
    Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Five Christian groups filed complaints to Indonesian police alleging blasphemy, leading to Thalisa’s arrest on October 8.
    Jack Guy, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Such a transformation would represent an irrevocable loss: a profound sacrilege not only to the city’s rich history but also to the cultural legacy for the future generations.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 Feb. 2025
  • For many liberals and radicals, beginning with Lord Byron, Elgin was a vandal who had committed sacrilege.
    Ralph Leonard, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The post was an apparent violation of Major League Baseball’s social media policy, which prohibits the use of electronic devices during games.
    Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Employers may continue to enforce drug-free workplace policies and discipline employees for violations.
    Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • For some fans, the changes may feel like a desecration.
    Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Simply put, their acts are a desecration of the pursuit of knowledge.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.
    Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
  • By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.
    Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The Trump administration is substantially scaling back the State Department's annual reports on international human rights to remove longstanding critiques of abuses such as harsh prison conditions, government corruption and restrictions on participation in the political process, NPR has learned.
    Graham Smith, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Thao has since been indicted for bribery and corruption.
    Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The imitation Punisher logo on Cole’s bullet was no act of flattery, but the most vile of insults.
    Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
  • But some Republican registrars took them as an insult, and at least one, Lisa Amatruda of Woodbury, walked out.
    Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.
    Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
  • No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.
    John Edgar Wideman, The New Yorker, 8 July 2021

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Cite this Entry

“Irreverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irreverence. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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