vituperation

noun

vi·​tu·​per·​a·​tion (ˌ)vī-ˌtü-pə-ˈrā-shən 

və-,

-ˈtyü-

1

: sustained and bitter railing and condemnation : vituperative utterance

2

: an act or instance of vituperating

Synonyms

• abuse
• billingsgate
• fulmination
• invective
• obloquy
• scurrility
• vitriol

Choose the Right Synonym for vituperation

abuse, vituperation, invective, obloquy, billingsgate mean vehemently expressed condemnation or disapproval.

abuse, the most general term, usually implies the anger of the speaker and stresses the harshness of the language.

scathing verbal abuse

vituperation implies fluent and sustained abuse.

a torrent of vituperation

invective implies a comparable vehemence but suggests greater verbal and rhetorical skill and may apply to a public denunciation.

blistering political invective

obloquy suggests defamation and consequent shame and disgrace.

subjected to obloquy and derision

billingsgate implies practiced fluency and variety of profane or obscene abuse.

directed a stream of billingsgate at the cabdriver

Examples of vituperation in a Sentence

their vituperation against the president

Voters are tired of all the vituperation in this campaign.

Recent Examples on the Web

Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024

The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation. —Matt Motta, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2024

As these things go, the tweet exposes Hotez to public vituperation on social media and possibly physical harm. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024

On March 12, Nickels tweeted a notice of a scientific conference in Washington at which Peter Daszak, the head of a research funding organization who has long been the target of vituperation by lab-leak advocates, would appear on a panel. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024

The vituperation has spilled over into the Wellington protests. —Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Feb. 2022

What had whipped these imperious creative artists into a frenzy of dismissive vituperation was, in fact, something that most people have strong ideas about, nobody can define, and virtually everyone (besides that trio) seems to want: good taste. —Daniel Mendelsohn, Town & Country, 20 Sep. 2021

Metaphorically likening Charlottesville to a rapist is a baseless vituperation against Charlottesville’s character, even more outlandish when the mayor herself is the vituperator. —George Messenger, National Review, 30 Mar. 2021

Unflinchingly conservative, wildly partisan, bombastically self-promoting and larger than life, Limbaugh galvanized listeners for more than 30 years with his talent for vituperation and sarcasm. —Matt Sedensky, Star Tribune, 17 Feb. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

vituperation

noun

vi·​tu·​per·​a·​tion (ˌ)vī-ˌt(y)ü-pə-ˈrā-shən 

: lengthy harsh bitter criticism or abuse