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Is Foul Language Wrong?

 

Oftentimes, you'll hear people use what is called "foul" language. In man's mind, using foul language may not be that big of a deal—but to God, it's actually a really big deal. Colossians 3:8 says, “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” The word filthy here is from the Greek word aischrologia, meaning “filthy language, obscene speech, foul talk,”¹ and it's such a big deal that God lists it among sins like fornication and covetousness!

 

“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.” (Ephesians 5:3–4)

 

Consider also how the word jesting used in Ephesians 5:4 means “crude joking.”² When it comes to filthy language, the Bible goes so far as to say we shouldn't even use these words when joking around. Hence, whether used in anger, daily conversation, or "harmless" jest, filthy and crude words, such as the f-word, s-word, and countless others, should be avoided entirely.

 

What About Stupid and Idiot? 

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Did you know the Bible even says it's wrong to use words like stupid when coupled with hatred of the heart?

 

Jesus said in Matthew 5:21–22, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

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In this passage, Jesus says that just like murder is hatred, using insulting words toward your brother is hatred too. The word Raca, for example, “was a derogatory expression meaning ‘empty-headed,’ insinuating a person’s stupidity or inferiority.”³ The modern-day equivalents of the word Raca would be stupid and idiot (stupid means “slow of mind,”⁴ and idiot means “a foolish or stupid person”⁵). Hence, if we're using these words out of hatred toward our neighbor, we're guilty before God and in danger of judgment.

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Consider also how insulting something by calling it stupid may actually be indirectly insulting someone. For example, if someone does a project at school or work, and we say, “That’s such a stupid idea,” we're just insulting them in a backhanded way.

 

Further, we even need to be careful that we're not calling ourselves stupid. We might be tempted to say, “I'm so stupid for doing this,” but if we really believe that, it's a form of self-hatred, plus an insult to the God who made you, loves you, and called you “fearfully and wonderfully made!”

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What About the word Fool?

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All of the above principles apply to the word fool too if used as an intentional insult toward yourself or another person. The word fool means “one who is destitute of reason, or the common powers of understanding; an idiot.”⁶ If used in hatred, the word fool needs to be avoided at all times.

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However, unlike some of the other words, fool isn't always wrong to use. For example, the Bible says in Proverbs 28:26, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.” Psalm 53:1 says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” And Proverbs 7:22 says, “He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks.”

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When the Bible speaks of a fool, it's warning us—“Be careful, don’t trust in your heart, flee sexual sin,” etc. Though strong in language, God loves us enough to tell us to avoid the path of the fool—and hence avoid the accompanying sorrow. If we use the word fool, we must use it within Scripture's context and use it to warn others (and ourselves!) of the seriousness of sin.​

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Endnotes

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1. “148. aischrologia (Strong’s Greek 148).” BibleHub, BibleHub.com, Lexical Summary, https://biblehub.com/greek/148.htm. Accessed Aug. 2025.

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2. “Ephesians 5:4.” BibleHub, BibleHub.com, https://biblehub.com/text/ephesians/5-4.htm. Accessed Aug. 2025.

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3. “Why did Jesus warn against saying the word raca in Matthew 5:22?” GotQuestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/raca.html. Accessed Aug. 2025.

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4. “Stupid: 1 of 2, adjective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam‑Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupid. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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5. “Idiot: noun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam‑Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiot. Accessed Aug. 2025.

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6. Webster, Noah. American Dictionary of the English Language. 1828. “Fool.” Webster’s Dictionary 1828, https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/fool. Accessed Aug. 2025.

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