blasphemy Hear it!

blasphemy Definition

blas·phemy (blas′fə mē)

noun pl. -·mies

  1. profane or contemptuous speech, writing, or action concerning God or anything held as divine
  2. any remark or action held to be irreverent or disrespectful

Etymology: ME blasfemie < OFr blasphemie < LL(Ec) blasphemia < Gr blasphēmia: see blaspheme

blasphemy Synonyms

blasphemy

n.

impiety, sacrilege, profanity, irreverence, disrespect, swearing, cursing, obscenity, lewdness, reviling, scoffing, profanation, profaneness, desecration; see also curse 1, heresy.

Antonyms worship, piety*, prayer*, reverence.

blasphemy, the strongest of the following terms, is used of a remark deliberately mocking or contemptuous of God or something held as sacred; profanity applies to language that makes impious use of sacred names; swearing and cursing, in this connection, both refer to the utterance of profane oaths and imprecations, the latter more particularly to the calling down of evil upon someone or something

blasphemy Law Definition

n

The act of reviling, ridiculing, or being disrespectful or irreverent of, by words or conduct, God, religion, a religious doctrine, a religious icon, or anything considered sacred. A crime under the common law if the blasphemy was directed towards Christianity or Christian doctrine and icons and is still a statutory crime (although rarely enforced) in many states.

blasphemy Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • utter: This third commandment tells us not take Gods name in vain which covers a range of offenses from breaking promises to uttering blasphemies.
  • commit: He also had committed blasphemy by threatening the uniqueness of God's presence.
  • speak: Either Jesus is the Son of God or he was speaking blasphemy.
  • hear: He said, " you have heard the blasphemy " ( v 64 ).
  • see: I fail to see the blasphemy in using cola and burgers.

Preposition: against

  • spirit: This was the blasphemy against the Spirit, or the unpardonable sin, a sin so awesomely bad that it can not be forgiven.
  • religion: He also urged the European Union to criminalize blasphemy against any religion, including pagan religions.

Adjective modifier

  • such: Why, you would not dare to cross the threshold with such blasphemy in your soul!
  • great: Is not this a great blasphemy making God a liar?
  • sheer: To say that man is precisely what God made him to be is sheer blasphemy.
  • ultimate: We make them doubt that they are children of God, and this must be nearly the ultimate blasphemy.

Modifies a noun

  • prosecution: The event is not an extremely cost-effective way to raise funds for CV's blasphemy prosecution against the BBC.
  • charge: He loves threatening prosecution ( remember how he was going to put the BBC in the dock on blasphemy charges?
  • case: The blasphemy case had lasted almost exactly half of its brief life.
  • prisoner: Meanwhile, CSW secured funds from the Prisoner of Conscience Appeal Fund for two blasphemy prisoners who have now been released.