impious
Americanadjective
-
not pious or religious; lacking reverence for God, religious practices, etc.; irreligious; ungodly.
- Synonyms:
- irreverent, blasphemous, sacrilegious
adjective
-
lacking piety or reverence for a god; ungodly
-
lacking respect; undutiful
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of impious
Explanation
To be impious is to be disrespectful of god or duty. When someone is being impious they are doing things that their church, synagogue, temple, mosque, school principal, government or parents would find unacceptable. When you don’t show reverence for religion or god, you are impious. The adjective impious is related to the word piety, which means religious reverence. To be impious is to be without piety. Being impious is similar to being blasphemous, but it’s a little more passive to be impious, while blasphemy is more actively insulting. Also, when you act out against tradition or dutifulness, you could be considered impious. If you dodge a military draft, you will likely be considered impious.
Vocabulary lists containing impious
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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"Common Sense," Vocabulary from the pamphlet
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Common Sense
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Impious people, you say, deprived of the flattering hopes of another life, desire to be annihilated.
From Superstition In All Ages (1732) Common Sense by Knoop, Anna
Impious men do not recommend themselves to their communion by iniquity and cruelty towards any description of their fellow-creatures.
From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 03 (of 12) by Burke, Edmund
Impious and daring mortal; why presumest thou to intrude here, where none like thee are permitted to come?
From A Book for the Young by French, Sarah
Over French and English religious pictures the inscription, "See how Impious I am," is equally legible.
From Selections From the Works of John Ruskin by Ruskin, John
The sweet Lady took all her Promises for sterling, and kissing her Impious Hand, humbly return’d her Thanks.
From The Works of Aphra Behn Volume V by Summers, Montague
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
