blaspheme

See also: blasphémé and blasphème

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌblæsˈfiːm/, /ˌblɑːsˈfiːm/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈblæs.fim/
• Rhymes: (UK) -iːm

Etymology 1

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

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[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?

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
• unblasphemed

 

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
• 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)

Etymology 2

From Middle English blasfeme, blasphem, blaspheme, from Middle French blaspheme, from Old French blasfeme, from Ecclesiastical Latin blasphēmia, from Ancient Greek βλασφημία (blasphēmía).

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