as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
unleashed a slew of expletives upon losing the tennis match
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expletive
In a torrent of expletives and all caps, the chat lauds his accomplishment at an unreadable clip.
—
Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025
The duo tweeted at each other earlier this year, after SZA, using an expletive, demanded a new season of the show immediately.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
But Andre Zachary, Neely’s father, was escorted out of the courtroom after an outburst that included expletives, according to CNN.
—Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 9 Dec. 2024
But when the man asked Valdivia for money on the train, the agent said no and the man muttered expletives while walking away, prosecutors said, according to NBC Washington.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for expletive 
Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025
The duo tweeted at each other earlier this year, after SZA, using an expletive, demanded a new season of the show immediately.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
But Andre Zachary, Neely’s father, was escorted out of the courtroom after an outburst that included expletives, according to CNN.
—Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 9 Dec. 2024
But when the man asked Valdivia for money on the train, the agent said no and the man muttered expletives while walking away, prosecutors said, according to NBC Washington.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for expletive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expletive
Noun
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And anyone who believed in curses was gaining some evidence.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
19 Jan. 2025
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Cubs fan sabotages his own team and extends the most infamous curse in MLB history During Game 6 of the 2003 National League Division vs. the then-Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman reached out and grabbed a ball that could have been caught.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The station asked the band not to include the swears.—
Kris Holt,
Forbes,
2 Dec. 2024
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There’s a heavy focus on Asia’s first One&Only spa, featuring a green caviar body exfoliation and an Augustinus Bader facial celebs swear by.—
Katie Lockhart,
Robb Report,
11 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Divergent aspects of Cage’s language—hypnotically simple harmony in the first, percussive murmuring in the other—complemented the film’s rapt aura.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
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The post also used language resembling false claims that circulated about Musk in September 2024 and early January.—
Katie Smith,
USA TODAY,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Glenn Close censored for using profanity during live Golden Globes broadcast One of those losses came in the Best Actress category, where Demi Moore triumphed over Anora's Madison, whom many predicted would win the award.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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There was a funny moment when ESPN 1320’s James Ham told Christie he would be fined for using profanity.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacramento Bee,
31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The next day, one of his supporters called U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s chambers and called her a racial epithet.—
Josh Meyer,
USA TODAY,
14 Jan. 2025
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In Greek mythology, Chloe was an epithet of the goddess Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.—
NR Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.—
Time,
Time,
11 June 2019
Noun
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And, when the alarm wails hours before dawn, human cusses of angry protest join the chorus of budget appliances failing before their time.—
Virginia Konchan,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2024
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My grandmother extended a ladder up into this tough old cuss of a tree and climbed up, at some risk, to pick the bulging fruit.—
Jim Meddleton,
The Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Expletive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expletive. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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