expletives

[ɪkˈsplɛtɪvz]
nounpl: expletives
palavrões, imprecações, exclamações obscenas
1. Words or phrases used to express strong emotion, typically anger or frustration, often considered vulgar or offensive
The comedian's routine was filled with expletives that made some audience members uncomfortable.
O roteiro do comediante estava repleto de palavrões que deixou alguns membros da plateia desconfortáveis.
2. A word or phrase inserted into speech without grammatical function, used for emphasis or as an interjection
In the sentence 'It is obvious that...' the word 'it' is an expletive.
Na frase 'É óbvio que...' a palavra 'é' funciona como uma imprecação gramatical.
In Brazilian and American media, expletives are often censored or bleeped in broadcasting. The usage and acceptance of expletives varies significantly by context—acceptable in casual conversation and entertainment but strictly avoided in formal or professional settings. American television and radio have strict FCC regulations limiting expletive broadcast, while Brazilian media follows similar cultural guidelines on public channels.
NYC Slang
dirty words, cuss words
Synonyms / Sinônimos
curse wordsswear wordsprofanitiesoathsobscenitiesepithets
Antonyms / Antônimos
clean languagepolite wordsrespectful language

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
palavrões, imprecações
Most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
palavrões, porcarias
Often used colloquially with regional flavor
São Paulo
palavrões, xingamentos
Standard urban usage
Portugal
palavrões, impropérios
European Portuguese uses 'impropérios' more frequently

Related Words

profanityvulgarityobscenitycurseswearinginterjection

Related Idioms & Phrases

to string together expletives
an expletive deleted (used in censored documents)
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