profaning

verb

present participle of profane
1
as in degrading
to lower in character, dignity, or quality the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abusing
to put to a bad or improper use profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in violating
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for profaning
  1. degrading
  2. abusing
  3. violating
  4. corrupting
  5. misusing
  6. subverting
  7. perverting
  8. debauching
Verb
  • Online critics characterized the Polymarket contract as degrading and questioned why celebrity ambassadors would associate themselves with the company.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Oliver got the show started by kicking his heels together and pointing out that stand-up comedy and a venue like Carnegie Hall are opposing ovals in a Venn diagram, with stand-up degrading such a magnificent space.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrading
Verb
  • In an earlier episode, Pam confronts Grace’s mother about abusing her daughter and ends up bashing in the woman’s head with a meat tenderizer — which sounds like a pivotal moment but plays more like a side quest.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The former owner of several unlicensed North Texas boarding homes pleaded guilty Monday to financially abusing and fatally neglecting elderly and disabled people in her care, according to court filings.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • Charlotte’s water utility has fielded about 18 complaints a day of people violating mandatory water restrictions in place since mid-May, when the region was facing an extreme drought crisis.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Just before kickoff, the Tide confirmed that Kirkpatrick was suspended for violating team rules.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of violating
Verb
  • Documentarian Alex Gibney is no stranger to dissections of corrupting power — from his feature dives into Enron, Elizabeth Holmes and Scientology.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrupting
Verb
  • The No campaign accused measure proponents of misusing the state office.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • And any police officer caught misusing them should be charged by violating the constitution.
    — Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of misusing
Verb
  • Several works confront the digital systems shaping contemporary life, subverting algorithms and finding room for human error and agency.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • According to tax authorities, by inappropriately avoiding gains, investors are subverting the intention of the rules.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of subverting
Verb
  • The trial collapsed after the journalist was found to have tampered with evidence (he was later convicted of perverting the course of justice).
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 23 June 2026
  • He was also found guilty of perverting the court of justice.
    — StyleCaster Editors, StyleCaster, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of perverting
Verb
  • The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of debauching
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.

Browse Nearby Words

profanes
profaning
profanities
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All