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as in shame
a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a sin to waste food when people are starving

Synonyms & Similar Words

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sin

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sin contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sin are crime, offense, scandal, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

When could crime be used to replace sin?

The synonyms crime and sin are sometimes interchangeable, but crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When would offense be a good substitute for sin?

In some situations, the words offense and sin are roughly equivalent. However, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

Where would scandal be a reasonable alternative to sin?

While in some cases nearly identical to sin, scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

When is vice a more appropriate choice than sin?

The meanings of vice and sin largely overlap; however, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sin
Noun
There are two multi-person matches and a street fight set for the bright lights in the city of sin. Night 2 of WrestleMania 41 will take place at Allegiant Stadium at 7 p.m. ET in Las Vegas. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025 This represents that a person belongs to Jesus Christ and that a person is grieving and morning for their sins. Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
Páramo is a perfect hypocrite, sinning freely and then heading to the confession booth to take advantage of his faith’s unlimited forgiveness policy. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2024 This is a man who has probably sinned more times and in more areas of life than any human not currently imprisoned. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for sin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sin
Noun
  • The sadistic Lang, however, basks in such evil and partakes of it a little, too.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 May 2025
  • Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it!
    Lynn Zovighian, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • There shouldn't be shame in aging—not all of us are trying to look 30.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
  • Nearly all the gifts showered upon them had morphed into curses: The wealth vanished, the children were struck dead, and the fame transformed into shame.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • Without the puck, Nurse and Bouchard have the same weakness (read and react, wandering).
    Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • But for many military families, seeking help is seen as a sign of weakness.
    Anne Ritter, The Conversation, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Locals who spoke to the outlets said that the industrial park had fallen into disrepair in recent years, and teenagers would often trespass onto the property.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 5 May 2025
  • That investigation found two other Seattle police officers who also attended the rally had trespassed near the Capitol, and, on a disciplinary committee's recommendation, both were fired.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The upcoming film is an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller, High and Low, which was based on Evan Hunter’s (Ed McBain) 1959 novel, King’s Ransom.
    Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 5 May 2025
  • Despite issues with crime in the area, De la Peña, 61, said she never felt threatened by a customer until last month.
    Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
Noun
  • While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.
    Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
    Austin Mock, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • The Boston City Council will take up a resolution this week that calls for disgraced Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson’s removal from the body in the wake of her guilty plea to two federal corruption charges tied to a City Hall kickback scheme.
    Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 May 2025
  • However, rumors swirled about his luxury lifestyle and possible corruption and eventually led to federal charges in 2007.
    David Matthews, New York Daily News, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • Chernow follows the pattern of most biographers in giving this work less attention than the more chipper earlier books—which is a pity, because the later work also reflects the Twain best illuminated by Chernow’s biography and its emphasis on Twain’s most forlorn years.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
  • The evening ends with everyone hating Matt and feeling no pity as he’s hauled away in an ambulance.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sin. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

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