1
as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
King Richard I of England was given the very laudatory epithet "the Lion-Hearted"
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2
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
the school has a strict ban against the use of offensive epithets
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Recent Examples of epithet
At the time, pollsters did not necessarily welcome the epithet.
—
W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
Across the country, people have endured antisemitic epithets as well as anti-Muslim rhetoric, in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war abroad.
—Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024
Last week in Columbus, Ohio, a dozen or so people marched through the city waving Nazi flags and yelling racial epithets.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
Today, the term is more often used as a negative epithet—but on her wise and poignant R&B album Heaux Tales, Jazmine Sullivan celebrates gossip’s emotional significance, showing the revelations and self-explorations that arise when women nurture community.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for epithet 
W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
Across the country, people have endured antisemitic epithets as well as anti-Muslim rhetoric, in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war abroad.
—Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024
Last week in Columbus, Ohio, a dozen or so people marched through the city waving Nazi flags and yelling racial epithets.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
Today, the term is more often used as a negative epithet—but on her wise and poignant R&B album Heaux Tales, Jazmine Sullivan celebrates gossip’s emotional significance, showing the revelations and self-explorations that arise when women nurture community.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
Noun
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The city bequeathed him a new nickname, borrowed from their greatest footballing son — ‘Kvaradona’.David Ornstein, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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But nobody could deny the men’s enthusiasm and gumption, and members of the Hooligan Navy came to embrace the nickname with pride.David Wolman, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This is a dangerous conflation and an insult to women who choose to cook.Mina Holland, Vogue, 11 Jan. 2025
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This can be through verbal insults, physical acts like slapping and spitting, or openly degrading someone by telling them to perform humiliating tasks (say, drinking a random glass of milk in front of your work colleagues).Fran Tirado, Them, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The other survivor, a 25-year-old flight attendant identified by her surname Koo, is reportedly in stable condition after suffering injuries to her ankle and head.Conor Murray, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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The former president explained to Mr. Denno that his surname came from a Middle English and Anglo-Saxon word that means wheel-maker, or one who transports goods by wheel.John Ismay, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Older neighborhoods were typically named by their residents, with monikers borrowing from the area’s geographic features or institutions, according to William Burg, president of Preservation Sacramento.Sarah Linn, Sacramento Bee, 3 Jan. 2025
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Literally ‘the King’s daughters,’ the moniker was an indication of literal state sponsorship, and, though the exact number of ladies is argued, close to 800 women immigrated to New France (land already occupied by indigenous peoples) between 1663-1672, literally doubling the French population.Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Baldoni’s lawsuit alleges that the text message and Times reporting on said interaction is missing context, and that the back and forth was actually sarcasm.Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 2 Jan. 2025
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The Times also clipped Abel’s use of the upside-down smiley face emoji, which is typically used to convey sarcasm.Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 31 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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