What does blasphemousness mean?
Blasphemousness is a formal abstract noun describing the quality of being blasphemous — that is, of speaking, writing, or acting with contempt or irreverence toward God, deities, or things held sacred. Where 'blasphemy' names the offending utterance or act itself, 'blasphemousness' names the character or degree of offensiveness attributed to it, as in judging a novel's blasphemousness or condemning the blasphemousness of certain remarks. The word belongs chiefly to elevated registers: theology, literary criticism, law, and history, particularly where censorship or religious controversy is discussed. It carries uniformly negative connotations, since it presupposes that reverence toward the sacred is the norm from which the speaker or work departs. Though rare in everyday conversation, it is useful whenever a writer wishes to discuss the quality of irreligion or sacrilege as an attribute rather than recount a specific act of blasphemy.
nounThe quality or state of being blasphemous; speech, writing, or conduct that shows contempt or irreverence toward God or sacred things.
- The quality of showing contempt or irreverence toward God, deities, or sacred things.
"The pamphlet was condemned for the sheer blasphemousness of its opening lines."
"Critics attacked the novel for what they saw as its calculated blasphemousness."
"In some jurisdictions, the blasphemousness of a publication was once grounds for legal prosecution."
As an abstract quality noun, blasphemousness has no natural plural and is almost never pluralized in practice.
"The censors catalogued the various blasphemousnesses they detected across the collected writings."
Every word in this family traces back to a Greek verb meaning literally 'to injure reputation' — so calling something blasphemous was originally a charge of slander, just aimed at the divine.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blasphemousness
Blasphemousness is built on 'blasphemous', the adjective form of 'blasphemy', which entered English from Late Latin blasphemia, itself borrowed from Greek blasphēmia. The Greek verb blasphēmein originally meant 'to speak ill of' or 'to injure someone's reputation' and only later narrowed to denote speech offensive to God. The suffix '-ness' converts the adjective into an abstract noun denoting the quality itself. The ancient root also survives, through different routes of borrowing, in words such as 'blame'.
How blasphemousness is actually used
A formal, abstract, and relatively rare noun, most often found in religious, literary-critical, or historical discussion rather than everyday speech. It carries strongly negative connotations and is typically used when evaluating the character of an utterance or work as a whole. In casual contexts, speakers usually prefer 'blasphemy' or the adjective 'blasphemous'.
Easily confused with blasphemousness
Blasphemy is the act or utterance itself that insults God or sacred things, while blasphemousness is the abstract quality of being blasphemous.