blaspheme

See also: blasphémé and blasphème

English

Etymology

From Middle English blasfemen, blasphemen, from Old French blasfemer, from Late Latin blasphēmāre, from Ancient Greek βλασφημέω (blasphēméō). Doublet of blame.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˌblæsˈfiːm/, /ˌblɑːsˈfiːm/
- Audio (Southern England): (file)
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈblæs.fim/
Rhymes: (UK) -iːm

Verb

blaspheme (third-person singular simple present blasphemes, present participle blaspheming, simple past and past participle blasphemed)

(intransitive) To commit blasphemy; to speak against God or religious doctrine.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 3:29:
  But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
- 1637, Thomas Heywood, The Royall King, and the Loyall Subject. […], London: […] Nich[olas] and John Okes, for James Becket, […], →OCLC, Act I, signature [A4], recto:
  Thus from the holy Warres are we return'd, / To ſlumber in the Summer of ſoft peace, / Since thoſe proud enemies that late blaſpheamd / And ſpit their furies in the face of Heaven, / Are now laid low in duſt.
- 1980, The Blues Brothers:
  Mrs. Murphy: Don't you blaspheme in here!
(transitive) To speak of, or address, with impious irreverence; to revile impiously (anything sacred).
- 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 32:
  So Dagon ſhall be magnifi'd, and God, / Beſides whom is no God, compar'd with Idols, / Diſglorifi'd, blaſphem'd, and had in ſcorn […]
- a. 1708, William Beveridge, A Form of Sound Words to be used by Ministers:
  How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge thyself on all those who thus continually blaspheme thy great and all-glorious name?
(transitive) To calumniate; to revile; to abuse.
- c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
  You do blaspheme the good in mocking me.
- 1725, Homer, “Book XIV”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume III, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC:
  Those who from our labours heap their board, / Blaspheme their feeder and forget their lord.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

to speak against God or religious doctrine

Arabic: جَدَّفَ عَلَى (jaddafa ʕalā)
Bulgarian: богохулствам (bogohulstvam)
Catalan: blasfemar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 褻瀆／亵渎 (zh) (xièdú)
Czech: rouhat se impf
Dalmatian: blasmur
Danish: bespotte
Dutch: God lasteren
Esperanto: blasfemi
Finnish: pilkata Jumalaa
French: blasphémer (fr)
Galician: blasfemar (gl)
German: blasphemieren, Gott lästern, lästern (de) (archaic)
Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌾𐌰𐌼𐌴𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wajamērjan)
Greek: βλασφημώ (el) (vlasfimó)
Ancient: βλασφημέω (blasphēméō)
Hebrew: נאץ
Ido: blasfemar (io)
Indonesian: menghujat (id)
Irish: diamhaslaigh
Italian: bestemmiare (it)
Japanese: please add this translation if you can
Latin: blasphēmō
Lithuanian: plūstis
Macedonian: богохулење (bogohulenje)
Middle English: blasfemen
Norwegian: spotte
Old Church Slavonic: власвимисати (vlasvimisati)
Polish: bluźnić (pl) impf, zbluźnić pf
Portuguese: blasfemar (pt)
Romanian: blestema (ro)
Russian: богоху́льничать (ru) impf (bogoxúlʹničatʹ), кощу́нствовать (ru) impf (koščúnstvovatʹ)
Slovak: rúhať sa impf
Spanish: blasfemar (es)
Swedish: häda (sv), smäda (sv)
Turkish: küfretmek (tr)
Ukrainian: богоху́льствувати (uk) impf (bohoxúlʹstvuvaty)
Yiddish: לעסטערן (lestern)

Noun

blaspheme (plural blasphemes)

Obsolete spelling of blasphemy.

Latin

Adjective

blasphēme

vocative masculine singular of blasphēmus

Middle English

Etymology 1

Verb

blaspheme

Alternative form of blasfemen

Etymology 2

Noun

blaspheme

Alternative form of blasfeme

Adjective

blaspheme

Alternative form of blasfeme

Etymology 3

Noun

blaspheme

Alternative form of blasfemye