богоху́льство
bogoxúlʹstvoneuter
To say "blasphemy" in Russian, use богоху́льство (bogoxúlʹstvo) or кощу́нство (koščúnstvo). If unsure, use богоху́льство.
Meaning: irreverence toward something sacred (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| богоху́льство | bogoxúlʹstvo | neuter |
| кощу́нство | koščúnstvo | neuter |
Both words describe irreverence toward something sacred. Both are neuter nouns.
What does it mean word for word?
богоху́льство is a compound of бог, meaning God and a verb meaning to revile or abuse.
Which one should you use?
богоху́льство is used for insults or irreverence directed at God or religious teachings. кощу́нство is a broader word for sacrilege or profanity against anything held sacred, and it can describe an act that disrespects something highly valued even when no deity is involved.
How do you pronounce it?
богоху́льство is romanized as bogoxúlʹstvo, with the stress on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- In Russian legal history, богоху́льство was not just a religious sin but a state crime for centuries, as the Orthodox Church and the Tsarist government were officially entwined.
- In modern Russian, the word кощу́нство is often used metaphorically to describe something that is a complete 'waste' or 'travesty' of a great opportunity, even if nothing sacred is involved.
- Russian has a specific nuance where кощу́нство implies a malicious intent to desecrate, whereas богоху́льство can sometimes be used to describe an intellectual or philosophical challenge to the divine.
Example sentences for Russian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Dmitry and Ekaterina are discussing a controversial movie.
- Дмитрий DmitryТебе не кажется, что этот фильм богоху́льство?Tebe ne kazhetsya, chto etot film bogokhul'stvo?Don't you think this movie is blasphemy?
- Екатерина EkaterinaЯ думаю, это просто искусство, Дмитрий.Ya dumayu, eto prosto iskusstvo, Dmitriy.I think it's just art, Dmitry.
- Дмитрий DmitryНо такие шутки это чистое богоху́льство.No takiye shutki eto chistoye bogokhul'stvo.But such jokes are pure blasphemy.
- Екатерина EkaterinaУ всех разное мнение на этот счёт.U vsekh raznoye mneniye na etot schyot.Everyone has a different opinion on this.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blasphemy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
