vice

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as in prostitution
the practice of engaging in sexual activities for money a seedy section of the city where vice is rampant and very much out in the open

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun vice contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vice are crime, offense, scandal, and sin. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

When would crime be a good substitute for vice?

The meanings of crime and vice largely overlap; however, crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When is it sensible to use offense instead of vice?

While in some cases nearly identical to vice, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

When could scandal be used to replace vice?

The words scandal and vice can be used in similar contexts, but scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

In what contexts can sin take the place of vice?

In some situations, the words sin and vice are roughly equivalent. However, sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vice
Noun
  • Confidential finds a powerful political lobbyist shot to death, his apparent suicide highlighting a bizarre turn in Ohio’s largest public corruption case accidentaly uncovered by federal investigators that was nearly concealed by loose super PAC campaign financing rules.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025
  • When their late boss, Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano), is reported to have engaged in corruption tied to drug cartels, Mike and Marcus vow to clear his name.
    Tommy McArdle, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • However, economists say trade deficits aren’t a sign of national weakness.
    Time, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The dollar strengthened after days of weakness, and oil rose back above $60, starting to climb out of a danger zone.
    Ben Berkowitz, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The men face charges of solicitation of prostitution, a felony in Texas punishable with up two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
    Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Street prostitution has been an issue on Capp Street in the Mission District for decades.
    Fifth & Mission Podcast, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Feb. 2023
Noun
  • Landing in the bottom are Henry (for the sin of a spongy scallion pancake), Paula (for texture issues), and Bailey (for the aforementioned Pile of Stuff).
    Caroline Framke, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
  • But the occasional poach is perhaps no great sin, more akin to driving over the speed limit than, say, starting a forest fire.
    Mark Sundeen, Outside Online, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The fault lies less with the performers than the writing.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2025
  • These maps, based on research into earthquake sources such as faults and how seismic waves move through the earth’s crust, are used to determine the forces that structures in each community should be designed to resist.
    Jonathan P. Stewart, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, celebrates the beginning of spring and the the triumph of good over evil.
    Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Valentin looking evil as hell in his green collar :) Chelsea’s bright yellow caftan is so hopeful and so sad, somehow.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Kylian Mbappe has been isolated since the turn of the year, and too little is being said about the shortcomings in attack.
    Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
  • However, the Highway Performance Monitoring System also has several shortcomings that require further examination.
    Mark Pittman, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Now, more than two years after the Evros Thirty-eight made landfall on the islet, Little Maria is practically a household name, synonymous with refugees’ immorality and the malfeasance of NGOs and journalists.
    Lauren Markham, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
  • At its core, moral outrage is a response to the feeling that others are acting immorally and that their immorality is destroying society.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Vice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vice. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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