impious

adjective

ˈim-pē-əs How to pronounce impious (audio)
Definition of impiousnext
as in atheistic
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred an impious act that horrified their pious mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 impious Many other traditionalists have made a version of Scruton’s critique, insisting that contemporary art reflects self-indulgent, relativistic, and impious tendencies. — Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 While no formal announcement has been made to update its longstanding alcohol ban, Andrew Leber of Tulane University said this is in line with the Kingdom’s past approach to such potentially impious reforms. — Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025 How impious is the title of sacred Majesty applied to a worm, who in the midst of his splendor is crumbling into dust! — Charles Hilu, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2025 This game must have seemed profane to the Greeks, or even impious. — Simone Weil, Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024 Both narratives, private and public, differently restrict our access, so the ideal historian will need great tact and an impious curiosity. — James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impious
  1. atheistic
  2. sacrilegious
  3. blasphemous
  4. secular
  5. irreverent
  6. pagan
Adjective
  • His father's death during World War II influenced his pursuit of the ministry even amid the officially atheistic communist regime of the Soviet Union, according to his obituary on the OCU website.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
  • But there has been a recent rise in secular congregations that explicitly mimic religious organizations and rituals to celebrate atheistic worldviews.
    — Jacqui Frost, The Conversation, 11 Jan. 2024
Definition of atheistic
Adjective
  • The tweak The Improper Pig made to a coveted Southern brunch dish might be considered sacrilegious in some kitchens, but the result is a delicious argument for bending tradition.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026
  • As sacrilegious as this might sound to devout Bears fans, Johnson was equipped inside Halas Hall this offseason with Green Bay Packers highlights as a teach tape.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of sacrilegious
Adjective
  • The publication led to global outrage, with many Muslims finding the depictions highly offensive and blasphemous.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The image of him, his attire a blasphemous betrayal of the wholesome fun a clown costume promises, and with vibrant, colorful balloons in his hand, lingers in our minds for a long time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of blasphemous
Adjective
  • Women had long been leaders and chief ideologues in secular movements – such as in the Weather Underground in the United States, Italy’s Red Brigades, Germany’s Red Army Faction and the Basque separatist group ETA.
    — Sara Harmouch, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The flagship gathering resembles a cross between a Mardi Gras parade, an agricultural expo and a secular revival.
    — Sam Flemming, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of secular
Adjective
  • PlumpJack is Sir John Falstaff, Shakespeare’s irreverent, larger-than-life character, and the inspiration for Gordon Getty’s opera.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2026
  • As fashion cycles through infinite stages of nostalgia—particularly the brashness of the ’80s and the sleek, techy sportiness of the ’90s—there’s something about airbrushing that feels less overt and slightly irreverent.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of irreverent
Adjective
  • The expert was expected to say the positioning of the bodies, the branches on the remains, the outdoor location of the crime and knife wounds to the victims all were indications of pagan rituals.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Defense attorneys planned to present a theory that the two girls were killed in a pagan ritual by Odinists.
    — Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of pagan

Browse Nearby Words

impinging
impious
impish
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Cite this Entry

“Impious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impious. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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