1
as in temporal
not involving religion or religious matters
it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in atheistical
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred
offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
his idea of dinner table conversation is the telling of profane stories about his alleged sexual exploits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to corrupt
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profane
Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
Well, who better to judge than the king of profane movies, Martin Scorsese.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2025
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
Adjective
Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds sought relief from 'violent, profane, sexist' communications
The ruling comes after Lively and Reynolds sought protection from Baldoni and his legal team in a February letter to Judge Liman.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
Well, who better to judge than the king of profane movies, Martin Scorsese.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 Mar. 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
-
There is a limit, which could be discussed as a temporal one.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
10 Apr. 2025
-
When the master of timing departed our temporal world for a large and silent india-ink panel nine days shy of his 96th birthday, the cartoonist left behind an enormous body of work that still dances on the page.—
Art Spiegelman,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Deputies found and arrested Betancourt, who was sentenced March 21 to six years and eight months in state prison for felony child abuse causing injury, felony domestic violence, witness intimidation, and possession of obscene matter depicting persons under age 18 engaged in lewd conduct.—
Bay City News Service,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Lovable, charming and generous, yet temperamental, arrogant and obscene.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Stuart Miller, Boynton Beach Seven memorable words Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The show followed an ensemble of one-percenters at the titular resort in Hawaii, observing how their privilege blinds them to reality and corrupts everyone around them, leading to conflicts, cruelty, and, eventually, violence.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
He was impeached by the state House in 2023 but acquitted by the state Senate after he was accused of misusing his office to benefit a real estate developer.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Yet bioethicists, privacy experts and national security experts warn that genetic information can also be misused in dangerous ways.—
Abigail Dubiniecki,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The sheriff’s office said it’s launched an internal investigation, but so far has not found any signs that the veteran deputy violated any policies.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
-
In a series of lawsuits following the order, plaintiffs, including 22 Democratic state attorneys general and immigrant rights advocates, argued that Trump's order violates a right protected by the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment: anyone born in the United States is a citizen.—
Terry Moseley,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In other words, despite its seeming departure from Maine’s binary logic, the Second World was really a slice of the non-West that, contrary to expectations, embraced an explicitly secular and modernizing agenda: socialism.—
Zachariah Mampilly,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Apr. 2025
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But the church’s decision to make Catholic Charities a separate corporate entity means that this entity is not exempt from the state’s unemployment law — because Catholic Charities itself only provides secular services.—
Ian Millhiser,
Vox,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Europeans were enchanted by the expressive fluency that the New York critics had considered vulgar.—
David Denby,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The chief spoke at the LAPD’s Police Commission weekly meeting Tuesday, a day after news broke that officers from the department’s recruitment and employment division had been unknowingly recorded making vulgar comments, including while talking about police applicants.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Government lawyers argue that Meta's services have degraded in quality in part because of its dominant position in the marketplace.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2025
-
According to the National Institutes of Health, ALS progressively degrades, then kills nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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