The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of metaphorical modeling of the concept “Sünde” (Sin) in modern German media discourse. Within the framework of the cognitive-discursive paradigm, the author examines the transformation of religious semantics and its adaptation to the needs of secular communication. The methodological foundation of the work is a synthesis of Charles Bally’s theory of modality and the conceptual metaphor theory by G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, which allows investigating sin not as a static lexical unit, but as a dynamic evaluative operator. Based on German lexicographical sources and texts from high-quality press (Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, Die Welt), the study establishes the nuclear-peripheral hierarchy of the concept, where the sacred core is contrasted with the secularized periphery. Special attention is paid to identifying and analyzing dominant metaphorical models. In particular, the model of “professional responsibility” is described using the lexeme “Bausünde”, where architectural mistakes are conceptualized as a moral crime against public space. The strategy of “psychological trivialization” through the concepts of “Jugendsünde” and “Gedankensünde” is analyzed, indicating a decrease in the register of seriousness of the concept and its ironic reimagining. A separate section is devoted to metaphorical intensifiers “Erbsünde”, “Todsünde”, and “Hauptsünde”, which in economic and political contexts mark systemic crises and fatal mistakes. It is proved that the evolution of the concept occurs through a change in the modal frame: from external divine control to internal rational and social regulators. The article confirms that in modern German media discourse, the concept “Sünde” has turned into a universal tool for marking any deviations from the norm while maintaining its high axiological potential.