Meaning & use
irreverent
Last updated
UK/ɪˈrɛvərənt/
US/ɪˈrɛvərənt/
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Not showing the respect usually given to serious or important people, institutions or ideas, often in a humorous way.
Grammar: Before a noun or after be: an irreverent joke, he is irreverent.
Patterns
- irreverent about something
- irreverent toward something
The comedian is known for his irreverent humor.
She took an irreverent view of the company's rules.
The magazine was irreverent about politicians.
Word forms
| comparative | more irreverent |
|---|---|
| superlative | most irreverent |
Common combinations
- irreverent humor
- The show is full of irreverent humor.
- irreverent attitude
- He has an irreverent attitude toward authority.
- irreverent tone
- The book has an irreverent tone.
- irreverent comedy
- They produce irreverent comedy for television.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disrespectful
- Is more negative and suggests rudeness, while irreverent can be playful and even admired.
- cheeky
- Is lighter and describes mild, usually charming boldness.
- flippant
- Suggests not taking serious things seriously enough, and is more critical.
- sacrilegious
- Means disrespectful to something holy, which is much stronger.
Opposites
Word family
- irreverence noun
- lack of respect for serious things
- irreverently adverb
- in a disrespectful or humorous way
- reverent adjective
- showing deep respect
Commonly confused: irreverent or irrelevant?
irreverent vs irrelevant
Irrelevant means not connected to the subject; irreverent means lacking respect.
Practice
Which describes an irreverent cartoon?
Choose one answer.
Irreverent means not respectful toward things normally taken seriously. Not connected to the topic would be irrelevant.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “irreverent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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