epithet

noun

ˈe-pə-ˌthet How to pronounce epithet (audio)
Definition of epithetnext
1
as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual King Richard I of England was given the very laudatory epithet "the Lion-Hearted"

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2
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings the school has a strict ban against the use of offensive epithets

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of epithet Social media has teemed with unsavory videos of Argentinean misbehavior in the stadiums, including fans hurling racial epithets at a Black American influencer and showering Egyptians with beer. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026 Mendelsohn also retains Homer’s repetitious epithets for characters that some modern translations—written for the silent reader of the 21st century—have slimmed down. — Chris Moody, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 That epithet is more unhinged than any of the examples the Tribune Editorial Board gives in the editorial. — Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026 But Moscow’s options are few, and the epithet from the start of the war – that a weak and losing Russia can not suddenly also be a hundred feet tall – remains. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
  1. nickname
  2. insult
  3. moniker
  4. sarcasm
  5. surname
Noun
  • To an uninformed voter, the nickname might suggest that Ehr is of Hispanic descent.
    — Michael Vasquez, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
  • All of the Slow Horses (a not-so-affectionate nickname for Slough House employees), past and present, are targeted, and Sid goes to River for help.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of nickname
Noun
  • Try to remember that your teen’s eyes were focused squarely on the $100 prize and so this is an issue of overlooking rather than one of insult.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Yet in a land where machismo still reigns, it’s considered a rather severe insult.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • This is the Leeds full-length that sounds most like the previous one, despite the producer typically showing great range even across his individual monikers.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • When Nick went to present his first big case to clients and the board, he was paralyzed by stuttering, and the firm hired a vocal coach who taught him to sing through the stammer, hence the moniker.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of moniker
Noun
  • There’s a hint of sarcasm in that statement, but also a dose of reality.
    — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Returning the sarcasm tends to cause the same problem, with two people annoyed instead of one.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sarcasm
Noun
  • Soon after, Lewis adopted Risk, who took his surname, at age 21, according to friends and a blurb in the younger Lewis’ funeral program.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Like other Tigrayans quoted in this story, he is being referred to only by his surname for fear of retaliation by armed groups.
    — Siyanne Mekonnen, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of surname

Browse Nearby Words

epitaphs
epithet
epithets
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Cite this Entry

“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on epithet

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about epithet

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