blasphemous

[ blas-fuh-muhs ]

adjective

1. uttering, containing, or exhibiting blasphemy; irreverent; profane.

   Synonyms: iconoclastic, apostate, irreligious, impious, sacrilegious

blasphemous

/ ˈblæsfɪməs /

adjective

1. expressing or involving impiousness or gross irreverence towards God, a divine being, or something sacred

Derived Forms

• ˈblasphemously, adverb

Other Words From

• blasphe·mous·ly adverb
• blasphe·mous·ness noun
• non·blasphe·mous adjective
• non·blasphe·mous·ly adverb
• non·blasphe·mous·ness noun
• semi·blasphe·mous adjective
• semi·blasphe·mous·ly adverb
• semi·blasphe·mous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of blasphemous¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin blasphēmus, from Greek blásphēmos “defaming, speaking evil,” equivalent to blá(p)s(is) “harm, evil” ( blab- “harm” + -sis -sis ( def ); compare bláptein “to harm”) + -phēmos “speaking,” derivative of phḗmē “speech”; -ous ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of blasphemous¹

C15: via Late Latin, from Greek blasphēmos evil-speaking, from blapsis evil + phēmē speech

Example Sentences

The Kenya Film Classification Board said was “blasphemous” because it promoted “values that are in dissonance with our constitution, culture, values and norms.”

From Washington Blade

For me, removing doubt from faith is heresy and most evangelicals I know are blasphemous in their certainty of all things related to understanding God.

From The Daily Beast

Determined to reunite his family and drawn by a desire to be with his beautiful, identical brother, Dominic soon embarks on a path that will embroil him with all the others in a blasphemous web of sex, revenge, and redemption.

From Washington Blade

The Bible includes a passage in the Book of Revelation that says anyone who adds to the words of the Bible will be cursed, which lead many Christians to believe that adding anything to scripture would be blasphemous, Miller said.

From Washington Post

The best parts of such a book are supposed to be blasphemous.

From The Daily Beast

In a blasphemous new novel Irish writer Colm Tóibín writes from the perspective of the Virgin Mary.

From The Daily Beast

After hearing the blasphemous clips insulting our beloved prophet, I would not hesitate to go after revenge.

From The Daily Beast

Their services at first struck everyone as blasphemous; but one gets used to everything in this country.

From Project Gutenberg

To any one who believes God to be omnipresent, the idea of His having ambassadors, or vicars upon earth, is blasphemous.

From Project Gutenberg

This was so general a custom that the Church published an ordinance against it as an impious and blasphemous usage.

From Project Gutenberg

This sounded blasphemous, while it gave me a sort of fearful joy.

From Project Gutenberg

At these blasphemous sounds, the pillars of the sanctuary were shaken.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• disrespectful
• insulting
• profane
• sacrilegious