sacrilegious
sacrilegious Lexical Profile
sacrilegious Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Involving or committing a gross violation, misuse, or desecration of what is regarded as sacred or holy.
"The vandals were condemned for their sacrilegious defacement of the ancient cathedral's altar."
Grossly irreverent or disrespectful toward any cherished person, custom, or institution (often used hyperbolically).
"Among traditional Italian chefs, snapping spaghetti in half before boiling it is considered positively sacrilegious."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently misspelled as "sacreligious" due to false association with the word "religious"; the correct spelling preserves the vowel order of its noun root, "sacrilege."
• Rhymes for sacrilegious
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Old French from Latin sacrilegus ('one who steals sacred things'), a compound of sacer ('sacred') and legere ('to gather, take away, or steal').