vituperative

adjective

vi·​tu·​per·​a·​tive vī-ˈtü-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce vituperative (audio)
-pə-ˌrā-
Synonyms of vituperativenext
: uttering or given to censure : containing or characterized by verbal abuse
vituperatively adverb

Examples of vituperative in a Sentence

the type of provocative magazine article that is guaranteed to engender vituperative threats of subscription cancellations
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From his pulpit, Wicks rains down selectively vituperative fire and brimstone, with an eye toward provoking walkouts from unsuspecting visitors—say, a gay couple or a single mom. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2025 In the years intervening, the poem has remained a lodestar, a contravening presence when, in present day America’s vituperative political landscape, the humanities disciplines and higher education itself has been forced to invoke and defend its own authority. Elaine L. Wang september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025 Even the company’s most vituperative detractors acknowledge its engineering genius and applaud its success in driving down launch expenses (unlike many defense contractors, SpaceX largely eats the cost of its failures). Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025 Transcripts of the depositions conducted by utility lawyers were made public Friday in Superior Court and hundreds of pages of questions and answers suggest questions about who contributed what to the vituperative oped may never be answered to everyone’s satisfaction. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for vituperative

Word History

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vituperative was in 1727

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Cite this Entry

“Vituperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vituperative. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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