VICE Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'vice' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vice are crime , offense , scandal , and sin . While all these words mean "a transgression of law," vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts. // regarded gambling as a vice

Q: When would 'crime' be a good substitute for 'vice'?

The meanings of crime and vice largely overlap; however, crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state. // the crime of murder

Q: When is it sensible to use 'offense' instead of 'vice'?

While in some cases nearly identical to vice , offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code. // at that school no offense went unpunished

Q: When could 'scandal' be used to replace 'vice'?

The words scandal and vice can be used in similar contexts, but scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience. // a career ruined by a sex scandal

Q: In what contexts can 'sin' take the place of 'vice'?

In some situations, the words sin and vice are roughly equivalent. However, sin implies an offense against moral or religious law. // the sin of blasphemy

vice

noun

ˈvīs

Definition of vice

as in corruption

immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society that section of the city is legendary for crime and vice

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as in weakness

a defect in character curiosity in children is not a vice, but something to be encouraged

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as in prostitution

the practice of engaging in sexual activities for money a seedy section of the city where vice is rampant and very much out in the open

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun vice contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vice are crime, offense, scandal, and sin. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

When would crime be a good substitute for vice?

The meanings of crime and vice largely overlap; however, crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When is it sensible to use offense instead of vice?

While in some cases nearly identical to vice, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

When could scandal be used to replace vice?

The words scandal and vice can be used in similar contexts, but scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

In what contexts can sin take the place of vice?

In some situations, the words sin and vice are roughly equivalent. However, sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vice

Noun

Talarico’s success so far can partly be chalked up to voters’ apprehensions toward Paxton, who faced questions in his past over corruption, including being impeached by his own party in the Texas legislature.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Blagojevich was impeached, removed from office by a unanimous 59-0 Illinois Senate vote and convicted of federal corruption offenses.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of corruption

Noun

Every monster has unique strengths and weaknesses, and each demands a different response.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
As rules and institutions constrain less and brute power matters more, countries will seek partners to help them blunt sanctions, access critical technologies, compensate for military weaknesses, expand their room for maneuver, and resist isolation.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakness

Noun

Convicted by a New York City jury of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in July 2025 at the end of lurid and violence-detailing trial, Combs was sentenced in September 2025 to a 50-month stint with time served.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
The 56-year-old had been serving his 50-month sentence at Fort Dix, a low-security federal facility in New Jersey after he was convicted last summer on charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of prostitution

Noun

Catholic teaching still calls suicide a grave sin, but recognizes mental illness can diminish responsibility; advocates want mental health ministries in parishes worldwide.

— Luis Andres Henao, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
If the sin of Mars’ album was being too predictable, Styles’ bold and unexpected Kiss All the Time.

— Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of sin

Noun

The court ruled in favor of summary judgment for OpenAI and found Walters had not established fault and damages.

— Kaitlin Newkirk, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
The military attributed the crash of a PAC MFI-17 Mushshak plane near the town of Nawan Killi in Balochistan province to a technical fault.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of fault

Noun

Rather than doing a literal adaptation, the creators kept the book’s DNA and tweaked the ideas of evil, temptation and power with a contemporary twist.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
But disagreement does not necessarily mean that one side possesses wisdom while the other possesses ignorance or evil.

— Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of evil

Noun

By the August meeting, shortcomings in the rollout were identified.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Jenae and Shalanda walk Brittany through how our aging power grid - coupled with climate change, the strain of new technologies, and a lack of investment - exposes the systemic shortcomings that very well might leave all of us in the dark.

— October 16, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of shortcoming

Noun

Since the middle of the twentieth century, societies around the globe have undergone a collective revolution in standards and attitudes towards obscenity and immorality.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Independents said the worst thing about Republicans was their loyalty to Trump (10%), perceptions of corruption and self-enrichment (8%), dishonesty, hypocrisy or immorality (7%), a lack of concern for ordinary people or cruelty (6%), and ineffective and weak or unqualified leadership (5%).

— Emily Guskin, ABC News, 27 May 2026

Definition of immorality

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Vice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vice. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of vice

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Synonyms of vice

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