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Glite Dictionary
🤬 Disrespectful or rude 🚫 To disrespect sacred 🎵 Not religious 😈 To corrupt morally
to profane

to profane

1 8.4
To make people less moral by encouraging bad behaviour
  • verb
  • /prəˈfeɪn/
translation icon : corromper
  • He profaned his reputation by engaging in immoral activities that shocked his community.

Examples

  • I would be shocked if there were not a god or two he had not profaned.

    Alexander (2004)

  • You see the flesh of Eve that man since Adam has profaned.

    The Night of the Hunter (1955)

  • The artist was criticized for profaning the ancient temple by covering it with graffiti.

  • The speech profaned the values of honesty and integrity that the organization stood for.

Synonyms

to corrupt
vsto profane
125 4.5

To make someone act dishonestly, often by giving them money

is moral corruption usually via indulgence in sensual pleasures rather than bribery
to debase
vsto profane
12 7.7

To make someone's morals worse by causing selfish or dishonest behaviour

is corruption through indulgence but broader than mere lowering of quality
to pervert
vsto profane
  • NSFW
9 7.9

Cause someone to do things that are morally wrong

focuses on moral corruption often via sensual indulgence rather than behaviour only
to debauch
vsto profane
  • NSFW
3 9.9

To lead someone into too much drinking, sex, or other wrong acts

is moral corruption by indulgence but not only about excess
to subvert
vsto profane
3 8.4

To make someone behave in a morally wrong way

is corruption focused on sensual indulgence rather than broad political or systemic overthrow
to demoralize
vsto profane
  • Formal
1 7.5

To make someone lose their sense of right and wrong

is the act of corrupting morally especially via indulgence rather than morale loss only
to deprave
vsto profane
  • Formal
1 8.3

To make someone behave badly by giving them wrong ideas

targets moral corruption specifically through indulgence in pleasures
to vitiate
vsto profane
  • Formal
9.9

Make a person lose moral strength or become corrupt

means corrupting morally especially through indulgence rather than only weakening strength
to sensualize
vsto profane
  • NSFW
9.1

Make something seem mainly about physical or sexual pleasure and lower its moral value

is moral corruption through indulgence but not limited to sexual emphasis
to carnalize
vsto profane
  • NSFW
9.9

To make something worse by treating it as sexual pleasure

is similar but covers moral corruption more generally through indulgence

Antonyms

to purify
  • Formal
28 5.1

To make someone feel morally clean and free from guilt

How Corrupting

to corrupt
125 4.5
to deprave
  • Formal
1 8.3
to profane
1 8.4
to debase
12 7.7
to tempt
146 3.3

Surface Forms

profane infinitive
profaned past
profaned past participle
profaning present participle
profanes third person singular

Etymology

Profane comes from Latin parts pro- 'outside' and fanum 'temple', giving the idea of being outside what is holy. So to profane someone or something can mean to corrupt their morals or lead them away from what is sacred.