blaspheme

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /blæsˈfim/ UK /blæsˈfiːm/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to speak irreverently or profanely about God or sacred things

They accused the poet of daring to blaspheme in his verses.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to speak irreverently or... curse profane desecrate revile swear

Opposites

bless venerate revere sanctify

Word family

Forms blasphemer

Derived forms blasphemerblasphemy blasphemous

Related forms blasphemy blasphemous blame

Simplified etymology

Blaspheme is recorded in English from the Middle English period and comes ultimately from Greek blasphēmein. That Greek word also underlies ecclesiastical Latin blasphemare “reproach, revile, blaspheme”; a popular Latin variant of blasphemare passed through Old French blamer or blasmer to give blame.

Etymology

From Late Latin blasphēmāre, from Ancient Greek blasphēmein ('to speak ill, slander, blaspheme'), from blasphēmos ('speaking evil').

blasphēmein Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# blaspheme

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /blæsˈfim/
**IPA (UK):** /blæsˈfiːm/

## Meanings
1. to speak irreverently or profanely about God or sacred things

## Examples
- They accused the poet of daring to blaspheme in his verses.

## Synonyms
- curse
- profane
- desecrate
- revile
- swear

## Antonyms
- bless
- venerate
- revere
- sanctify

## Derived Forms
- blasphemer
- blasphemy
- blasphemous

## Related Forms
- blasphemy
- blasphemous
- blame

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: blasphēmein

## Etymology
From Late Latin blasphēmāre, from Ancient Greek blasphēmein ('to speak ill, slander, blaspheme'), from blasphēmos ('speaking evil').

## AI Etymology
Blaspheme comes from Late Latin blasphēmāre, from Ancient Greek blasphēmein ('to speak ill, slander, blaspheme'), from blasphēmos ('speaking evil'). The historical trail runs through blasphēmein in Ancient Greek. Used as a verb, blaspheme now means "speak irreverently or profanely about God or sacred things", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in derived forms such as blasphemer, blasphemy, and blasphemous and related forms such as blasphemy, blasphemous, and blame. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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