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)

1. (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!

2. (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. 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?

3. (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

• blaspheme-vine

 

Related terms

• blasphemer
• blasphemingly
• blasphemous
• blasphemously
• blasphemy

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
• 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)

1. Obsolete spelling of blasphemy

Latin

Adjective

blasphēme

1. vocative masculine singular of blasphēmus

Middle English

Etymology 1

Verb

blaspheme

1. Alternative form of blasfemen

Etymology 2

Noun

blaspheme

1. Alternative form of blasfeme

Adjective

blaspheme

1. Alternative form of blasfeme

Etymology 3

Noun

blaspheme

1. Alternative form of blasfemye