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Synonyms

blasphemy

American  
[blas-fuh-mee] / ˈblæs fə mi /

noun

plural

blasphemies

  1. impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.

    Synonyms:
    impiety, sacrilege, profanity

  2. Judaism.

    1. an act of cursing or reviling God.

    2. pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.

  3. Theology. the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.

  4. irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc..

    He uttered blasphemies against life itself.
blasphemy British  
/ ˈblæsfɪmɪ /

noun

  1. blasphemous behaviour or language

  2. Also called: blasphemous libel.  law the crime committed if a person insults, offends, or vilifies the deity, Christ, or the Christian religion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonblasphemy noun

Etymology

Origin of blasphemy

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English blasphemie, from Late Latin blasphēmia, from Greek, equivalent to blasphem(ous) + -y 3

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.

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

There cannot be, since blasphemy depends on the acknowledgment of the sacred.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2025

Judge McGarva said he did not view the case as an attempt to expand blasphemy laws.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2025

Both Denmark and Sweden have abolished blasphemy laws.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2023

Subversion, sedition, blasphemy, heresy, all rolled into one.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

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.