blasphemy
Americannoun
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blasphemies
plural
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impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
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Judaism.
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an act of cursing or reviling God.
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pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
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Theology. the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
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irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc..
He uttered blasphemies against life itself.
noun
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blasphemous behaviour or language
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Also called: blasphemous libel. law the crime committed if a person insults, offends, or vilifies the deity, Christ, or the Christian religion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of blasphemy
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English blasphemie, from Late Latin blasphēmia, from Greek, equivalent to blasphem(ous) + -y 3
Explanation
Saying offensive things about God or religion is blasphemy. Blasphemy can be used for offensive ideas in other areas too. If you're saying something bad about a god, or taking the Lord's name in vain, or questioning a religious institution in any way, you could be accused of blasphemy — insulting something sacred. You can use this word in a lot of other ways too. At a meeting of conservatives, a liberal idea could be considered blasphemy (and vice versa). You might even jokingly cry "Blasphemy!" if a friend said your favorite ice cream flavor stinks.
Vocabulary lists containing blasphemy
The Crucible
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I Am Malala
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The Glass Castle
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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.
See Examples For:
We’ve got two big threads this week: creeps in the House of Representatives and blasphemy.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026
She also represented those accused of blasphemy -- an incendiary charge in Pakistan -- as well as Afghans who face crackdowns by the authorities.
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
Nigeria's Supreme Court has in the past ruled that blasphemy allegations must be proven in a court of law.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2025
There cannot be, since blasphemy depends on the acknowledgment of the sacred.
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2025
When Jean Louise and her brother were children, Atticus had occasionally drawn them a sharp distinction between mere scatology and blasphemy.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
Saban had asked in 2012, complaining about the hurry-up revolution even before he’d beheld the extent of Malzahn’s blasphemies.
From Slate ● Jan. 12, 2021
He spoke blasphemies other chefs recognized as hard-won truths.
From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2015
As vividly portrayed by the veteran mezzo-soprano Felicity Palmer, the agonies and blasphemies of the prioress were painful and even shocking to witness.
From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2013
George Bernard Shaw saw the aphorism as the new home for political slogans: "All great truths begin as blasphemies."
From Time Magazine Archive
However tyrannically disposed, the language of commanders and officers is nearly sure to be free from disgraceful epithets, blasphemies, and scurrilous abuse, cursing and swearing.
From The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 1 by Frederick Whymper
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.
