Epithet
noun
An adjective or brief phrase expressing a quality or characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
Alexander the Great is an epithet for Alexander III of Macedon.
Often appears as...
- racial epithet
- derogatory epithet
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A disrespectful or insulting word or phrase.
He was given the epithet 'loser' by his classmates.
Often appears as...
- racial epithet
- offensive epithet
Usage tips
Disapproving
Colloquial
noun
A term used to characterize a person or thing.
She was given the epithet 'The Iron Lady', showcasing her strong character.
Often appears as...
- personal epithet
- self-designated epithet
noun
In botany and zoology, it refers to the second part of a species name.
In the binomial nomenclature Panthera tigris, 'tigris' is the epithet.
Often appears as...
- specific epithet
- binomial epithet
Usage tips
Technical
noun
An adjective or brief phrase expressing a quality or characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
Alexander the Great is an epithet for Alexander III of Macedon.
Often appears as...
- racial epithet
- derogatory epithet
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A disrespectful or insulting word or phrase.
He was given the epithet 'loser' by his classmates.
Often appears as...
- racial epithet
- offensive epithet
Usage tips
Disapproving
Colloquial
noun
A term used to characterize a person or thing.
She was given the epithet 'The Iron Lady', showcasing her strong character.
Often appears as...
- personal epithet
- self-designated epithet
noun
In botany and zoology, it refers to the second part of a species name.
In the binomial nomenclature Panthera tigris, 'tigris' is the epithet.
Often appears as...
- specific epithet
- binomial epithet
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Historical Figures
Used frequently to add grandeur to historical or mythological figures.
Catherine the Great enhanced her legacy with an epithet indicating her power.
Pro Tip 2/3Meaningful Descriptions
An epithet can capture the essence of a person's reputation or character.
Known for his intelligence, he was called the walking encyclopedia.
Pro Tip 3/3Prestigious Honors
Epithets often honor achievements or status, conferring respect.
Nobel laureate is an esteemed epithet among scientists.
Compare with
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Video examples
Chinaka Hodge: What will...
did you sleep through it or were you roused? What was the cost of staying woke? What, in the year we said time's up, what did you do with your privilege? Did you sup on others' squalor? Did you look away or directly into the flame? Did you know your skill or treat it like a liability? Were you fooled by the epithets of "nasty" or "less than"?
Video examples
Prostitute or Disciple?...
be a clue not to where Mary came from but to her character and importance in Jesus's movement the other idea has to do with the Aramaic word for tower mcdowell which gives an epithet for Mary similar to the epithet that st. Peter
Video examples
Chinaka Hodge: What will...
did you sleep through it or were you roused? What was the cost of staying woke? What, in the year we said time's up, what did you do with your privilege? Did you sup on others' squalor? Did you look away or directly into the flame? Did you know your skill or treat it like a liability? Were you fooled by the epithets of "nasty" or "less than"?
Video examples
Prostitute or Disciple?...
be a clue not to where Mary came from but to her character and importance in Jesus's movement the other idea has to do with the Aramaic word for tower mcdowell which gives an epithet for Mary similar to the epithet that st. Peter
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Brittney Griner
American Basketball Player
People called me a dude and said there was no way I could be a woman. Some even wanted me to prove it to them. During high school and college, when we traveled for games, people would shout the same things while also using racial epithets and terrible homophobic slurs.
Quote examples
Eric Weinstein
American Mathematician
You have to understand that the I.D.W. emerged as a response to a world where perfectly reasonable intellectuals were being regularly mislabeled by activists, institutions, and mainstream journalists with every career-ending epithet from 'Islamophobe' to 'Nazi.
Quote examples
Xavier Dolan
Canadian Actor
Of all the labels and tags and epithets people have forced upon me, there's one I don't dislike. I get called the 'enfant terrible.' In every article, it's always there. So I have to give that a meaning.
Quote examples
Paul Gauguin
French Artist
In art, all who have done something other than their predecessors have merited the epithet of revolutionary; and it is they alone who are masters.
Quote examples
Mary Wollstonecraft
British Writer
Children, I grant, should be innocent; but when the epithet is applied to men, or women, it is but a civil term for weakness.
Quote examples
Reggie Jackson
American Athlete
I couldn't accept the racial epithets in reference to players like Elliott Maddox or Billy Sample.
Quote examples
Wyndham Lewis
English Author
As a result of the feminist revolution, 'feminine' becomes an abusive epithet.
Quote examples
Jacob Weisberg
American Journalist
If there's one epithet the Right never tires of, it's 'elitism.
Quote examples
Robert Green Ingersoll
American Lawyer
Insolence is not logic; epithets are the arguments of malice.
Quote examples
Rosa Bonheur
French Artist
The epithets of imbeciles have never bothered me.
Quote examples
Brittney Griner
American Basketball Player
People called me a dude and said there was no way I could be a woman. Some even wanted me to prove it to them. During high school and college, when we traveled for games, people would shout the same things while also using racial epithets and terrible homophobic slurs.
Quote examples
Eric Weinstein
American Mathematician
You have to understand that the I.D.W. emerged as a response to a world where perfectly reasonable intellectuals were being regularly mislabeled by activists, institutions, and mainstream journalists with every career-ending epithet from 'Islamophobe' to 'Nazi.
Quote examples
Xavier Dolan
Canadian Actor
Of all the labels and tags and epithets people have forced upon me, there's one I don't dislike. I get called the 'enfant terrible.' In every article, it's always there. So I have to give that a meaning.
Quote examples
Paul Gauguin
French Artist
In art, all who have done something other than their predecessors have merited the epithet of revolutionary; and it is they alone who are masters.
Quote examples
Mary Wollstonecraft
British Writer
Children, I grant, should be innocent; but when the epithet is applied to men, or women, it is but a civil term for weakness.
Quote examples
Reggie Jackson
American Athlete
I couldn't accept the racial epithets in reference to players like Elliott Maddox or Billy Sample.
Quote examples
Wyndham Lewis
English Author
As a result of the feminist revolution, 'feminine' becomes an abusive epithet.
Quote examples
Jacob Weisberg
American Journalist
If there's one epithet the Right never tires of, it's 'elitism.
Quote examples
Robert Green Ingersoll
American Lawyer
Insolence is not logic; epithets are the arguments of malice.
Quote examples
Rosa Bonheur
French Artist
The epithets of imbeciles have never bothered me.
Example 1 of 10
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