expletive
noun
ex·ple·tive
| \ ˈek-splə-tiv
\
\
Definition of expletive
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a syllable, word, or phrase inserted to fill a vacancy (as in a sentence or a metrical line) without adding to the sense
especially
: a word (such as it in "make it clear which you prefer") that occupies the position of the subject or object of a verb in normal English word order and anticipates a subsequent word or phrase that supplies the needed meaningful content
b
: an exclamatory word or phrase
especially
: one that is obscene or profane
2
: one that serves to fill out or as a filling
expletive
adjectiveDefinition of expletive (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: serving to fill up
expletive phrases
2
: marked by the use of expletives
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Synonyms for expletive
Synonyms: Noun
curse, cuss, cussword, dirty word, four-letter word, obscenity, profanity, swear, swearword, vulgarism
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Examples of expletive in a Sentence
Noun
Angry expletives filled the air. Expletives were deleted from the transcript of their conversation.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Johnson, handcuffed and clad in an orange jumpsuit, then stood up and hurled expletives toward the family members of his victims, including his aunt, in the back of the courtroom. — Cory Shaffer, cleveland.com, "Man curses judge after being sentenced to two life sentences in downtown Cleveland double murder," 27 Aug. 2019 Around midafternoon on a recent July day, on a small island called KakmakimiÅ‚h or Keith Island, the sounds of trowels crunching on shell middens and hoses pouring water on screens was interrupted by a series of excited shouts (and a few expletives). — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "This Centuries-Old Geoduck Shell May Rewrite the Rules About Who Can Harvest the Fancy Clam," 27 Aug. 2019 Football players press their chests against one another after a big hit, and coaches fling expletives (and sometimes projectiles). — Steven T. Wright, The Verge, "How fighting game tournaments are dealing with toxic and unruly players," 16 Aug. 2019 Court records include partial transcripts of his comments, which often included expletives and lewd language directed at Globe employees. — Danny Mcdonald, BostonGlobe.com, "Calif. man apologizes for threatening to kill Globe employees last year," 15 Aug. 2019 Sparkes admitted to calling her an expletive but denied Thomas' other claim. — Fox News, "Mueller on the hot seat as Dems and GOP seek info on Trump investigation in marathon hearings," 24 July 2019 In April, Busy Philipps' Instagram page was flooded with judgmental comments over her new foot tattoo and its featured expletive. — Samantha Sasso, refinery29.com, "Hilary Duff Is Getting Mommy-Shamed For Piercing Her Daughter's Ears," 5 July 2019 The argument led to Meghan calling Joy an expletive and Whoopi Goldberg having to call for a commercial break. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "‘The View’ Hosts Meghan McCain and Joy Behar Speak Out After Their Vicious Fight," 20 June 2019 Lewinsky used an expletive in her three-word response. — Rachel E. Greenspan, Time, "Monica Lewinsky Shares the Worst Career Advice She Ever Received. And It's Exactly What You Think," 14 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Del Rey will release her next album, whose expletive-laden title riffs on American painter Norman Rockwell, on Aug. 30. — Los Angeles Times, "Lana Del Rey yearns for an America ‘without the gun’ in new song about mass shootings," 6 Aug. 2019 In a 45-minute, expletive-laced rant on his SiriusXM radio show Monday night, Howard Stern railed against embattled CBS chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves, accusing the powerful executive of trying to ruin his life. — Gerren Keith Gaynor, Fox News, "Howard Stern says CBS' Leslie Moonves 'tried to ruin my life'," 7 Aug. 2018 Detectives later found an expletive spray-painted on the closet door. — Crimesider Staff, CBS News, "Police: Teen found shot dead in abandoned house died during "Russian roulette"," 14 June 2018 In the footage, an officer is heard using expletive terms with the suspect. — Brieanna J Frank, azcentral, "Two Mesa officers put on leave as police investigate another use-of-force incident," 7 June 2018 In front of three other referees, Barone said, the coach used a graphic, expletive-laced anti-gay slur. — Written By Jason Buckland ; Photographs By Marta Iwanek, New York Times, "A Gay Referee Tries to Find His Place in Hockey," 23 Apr. 2018 County Attorney's Office records said that Hammelton responded to the officer's demands with expletive terms. — Chris Mccrory, azcentral, "Flagstaff police officers won't be charged in fatal shooting of 78-year-old," 17 May 2018 Campbell, who is an assistant coach at Miami Edison High but previously coached at Central, Northwestern, Norland and Jackson, replied with a few expletive-laced tweets on Wednesday. — David Furones, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Jonathan Vilma, Luther Campbell engage in Twitter feud over Miami Hurricanes," 19 Apr. 2018 Wylie has colorfully describes himself as the gay Canadian vegan who somehow ended up creating Steve Bannon's psychological warfare mind expletive tool. — NBC News, "Meet the Press - April 8, 2018," 8 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expletive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for expletive
expletive
noun
English Language Learners Definition of expletive
: a word or phrase (such as "Damn it!") that people sometimes say when they are angry or in pain
especially
: one that is offensive
See the full definition for expletive in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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