PROFANE

blasphemous, blue, profane

(adjective) characterized by profanity or cursing; “foul-mouthed and blasphemous”; “blue language”; “profane words”

blasphemous, profane, sacrilegious

(adjective) grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred; “blasphemous rites of a witches’ Sabbath”; “profane utterances against the Church”; “it is sacrilegious to enter with shoes on”

profane, unconsecrated, unsanctified

(adjective) not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled

profane, secular

(adjective) not concerned with or devoted to religion; “sacred and profane music”; “secular drama”; “secular architecture”; “children being brought up in an entirely profane environment”

desecrate, profane, outrage, violate

(verb) violate the sacred character of a place or language; “desecrate a cemetery”; “violate the sanctity of the church”; “profane the name of God”

corrupt, pervert, subvert, demoralize, demoralise, debauch, debase, profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect

(verb) corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; “debauch the young people with wine and women”; “Socrates was accused of corrupting young men”; “Do school counselors subvert young children?”; “corrupt the morals”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

profane (comparative profaner or more profane, superlative profanest or most profane)

Unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing.

Not sacred or holy, unconsecrated; relating to non-religious matters, secular.

Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or scorn; blasphemous, impious.

Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain

Synonyms

• (obscene): vulgar, inappropriate, obscene, debased, uncouth, offensive, ignoble, mean, lewd

• secular

• temporal

• worldly

• unsanctified

• unhallowed

• unholy

• irreligious

• irreverent

• ungodly

• wicked

• godless

• impious

Antonyms

• holy

• sacred

Noun

profane (plural profanes)

A person or thing that is profane.

(freemasonry) A person not a Mason.

Verb

profane (third-person singular simple present profanes, present participle profaning, simple past and past participle profaned)

(transitive) To violate (something sacred); to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate

(transitive) To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to debase; to abuse; to defile.

Synonyms

• (violate something sacred): defile, unhallow; see also desecrate

• (put to a wrong or unworthy use): abase, adulterate, degrade, demean, misapply, misuse, pervert

Antonyms

• (violate something sacred): consecrate, sanctify; see also consecrate

Source: Wiktionary


Pro*fane", a. Etym: [F., fr. L. profanus, properly, before the temple, i. e., without the temple, unholy; pro before + fanum temple. See 1st Fane.]

1. Not sacred or holy; not possessing peculiar sanctity; unconsecrated; hence, relating to matters other than sacred; secular;

– opposed to sacred, religious, or inspired; as, a profane place. "Profane authors." I. Disraeli. The profane wreath was suspended before the shrine. Gibbon.

2. Unclean; impure; polluted; unholy. Nothing is profane that serveth to holy things. Sir W. Raleigh.

3. Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity; irreverent; impious. Hence, specifically; Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain; given to swearing; blasphemous; as, a profane person, word, oath, or tongue. 1 Tim. i. 9.

Syn.

– Secular; temporal; worldly; unsanctified; unhallowed; unholy; irreligious; irreverent; ungodly; wicked; godless; impious. See Impious.

Pro*fane", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Profaned; p. pr. & vb. n. Profaning.] Etym: [L. profanare: cf. F. profaner. See Profane, a.]

1. To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate; to pollute; as, to profane the name of God; to profane the Scriptures, or the ordinance of God. The priests in the temple profane the sabbath. Matt. xii. 5.

2. To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to make a base employment of; to debase; to abuse; to defile. So idly to profane the precious time. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

27 April 2024

GREAT

(adjective) remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect; “a great crisis”; “had a great stake in the outcome”


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Coffee Trivia

Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world. Each year Brazil exports more than 44 million bags of coffee. Vietnam follows at exporting over 27 million bags each year.

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