epithet

1.

a. A term used to characterize a person or thing, such as rosy-fingered in rosy-fingered dawn or the Great in Catherine the Great.

b. A term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title of a person, such as The Great Emancipator for Abraham Lincoln.

2. An abusive or contemptuous word or phrase.

... Am-Heritage

N-COUNT : usu with supp

An epithet is an adjective or short phrase which is used as a way of criticizing or praising someone.[ FORMAL ] : the religious issue which led to the epithet `bible-basher'.

... Cobuild