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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of epithet
There is no stronger epithet in Albany than the charge of being weak.
—
Paul Francis, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
Vice Mayor Darian Martin, who is Black, condemned Urbom’s use of the racial epithet.
—Theo Karantsalis, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
In the right-wing imagination, these women are acting like harpies — an epithet often seen online — when they’re supposed to be helpmeets.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Paul Francis, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
Vice Mayor Darian Martin, who is Black, condemned Urbom’s use of the racial epithet.
—Theo Karantsalis, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
In the right-wing imagination, these women are acting like harpies — an epithet often seen online — when they’re supposed to be helpmeets.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for epithet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epithet
Noun
-
Never underestimate the power of a cute nickname to change hearts and minds.—
Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But my favorite Commanders selection was Allen, a durable and powerful runner with good vision and one of the finest nicknames in sports.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The president has spent a decade calling his rivals communists and traitors, among other hyperbolic insults.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
According to Politico, the conversation was nothing but a tirade of insults.—
Tom Jurkowsky,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The hotel’s pretty-in-pink Spanish-Mediterranean façade has been a Southern California fixture for 100 years, since earning the moniker The Pink Lady.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
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Route 66 has been called America’s Main Street, a moniker that fuels nostalgics who like to talk about simpler times and good days gone by.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Played with blistering sarcasm by Emily Blunt, the high-strung Runway magazine assistant had many of the most crackling one-liners in the original 2006 film.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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My reaction was pure confusion, sarcasm and not ill intended.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Such hospitality was reserved for a narrow category of humanity, resembling as closely as possible those local barons whose surnames crusted the stones of local cemeteries.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
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The three-judge panel found no abuse of discretion, noting that throughout three decades of living under Woods' identity, Keirans hid his true identity from his wife and gave his child Woods' surname.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Epithet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epithet. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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