Word of the Day

: February 23, 2024

opprobrium

noun uh-PROH-bree-um

What It Means

Opprobrium refers to very strong disapproval or criticism of a person or thing especially by a large number of people.

// They're going ahead with the plan despite public opprobrium.

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opprobrium in Context

"Caught up in a whirlwind of public opprobrium, ... the brand's executives seemed unsure how to react, before finally offering up statements of public apologies and self-recrimination." — Vanessa Friedman, The New York Times, 1 June 2023

Did You Know?

Unfamiliar with opprobrium? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Just kidding—unfamiliarity with a word is hardly grounds for, well, opprobrium. We're here to learn! Besides, opprobrium is quite formal and has few close relations in English. It comes from the Latin verb opprobrāre, which means "to reproach." That verb, in turn, comes from the noun probrum, meaning "a disgraceful act" or "reproach." The adjective form of opprobrium is opprobrious, which in English means "deserving of scorn" or "expressing contempt." One might commit an "opprobrious crime" or be berated with "opprobrious language," for example.