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