reprobate 1 of 3

Definition of reprobatenext

reprobate

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noun

reprobate

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reprobate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reprobate are censure, condemn, criticize, denounce, and reprehend. While all these words mean "to find fault with openly," reprobate implies strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction.

reprobated his son's unconventional lifestyle

When would censure be a good substitute for reprobate?

The words censure and reprobate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, censure carries a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding.

a Senator formally censured by his peers

When could condemn be used to replace reprobate?

The synonyms condemn and reprobate are sometimes interchangeable, but condemn usually suggests an unqualified and final unfavorable judgment.

condemned the government's racial policies

Where would criticize be a reasonable alternative to reprobate?

The words criticize and reprobate can be used in similar contexts, but criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions.

criticized the police for using violence

How are the words denounce and condemn related as synonyms of reprobate?

Denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration.

a pastoral letter denouncing abortion

When might reprehend be a better fit than reprobate?

While in some cases nearly identical to reprobate, reprehend implies both criticism and severe rebuking.

reprehends the self-centeredness of today's students

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of reprobate
Adjective
Batiste is not a reprobate minstrel like late-night regular Lil Nas X; yet the weakness of both is held in equivalent esteem by the cultural mainstream. Armond White, National Review, 6 Apr. 2022 That’s when Regina’s sardonic sister (Wanda Skyes, the show’s co-creator) steps in and lets him and his reprobate pals have it. Jeanne Jakle, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Apr. 2021
Noun
But Jaron had a new acquaintance—Nortal, an old reprobate who ran the town dump. Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025 Like many of Anderson’s protagonists, Gustave is a reprobate of the first order, romancing old ladies for their fortunes and such. Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Verb
Gasoline is dirty, smelly, toxic, and environmentally reprobate. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reprobate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprobate
Adjective
  • Democrats have never run against a candidate like Ken Paxton that is so corrupt that his own party impeached him.
    NBC news, NBC news, 31 May 2026
  • Our lame-duck governor is happily corrupt and no longer answerable to Floridians.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • The iconic villain, portrayed by Robert Mitchum in 1962’s Cape Fear and by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s 1991 version, is back on screen in the new Apple TV adaptation.
    Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2026
  • Dead-end conflict is where the hero and the villain, the good guys and the bad guys, essentially never have any opportunity for movement or reconciliation at the end of the story.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • The court also rejected the New Orleans City Council’s attempt to hold a special election, which would have given Duncan the option to run again.
    Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
  • On Tuesday, however, the federation learned that the CAS panel had largely rejected its arguments but has annulled the first sanction’s partial-stadium closure.
    Matt Slater, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • The nurses refused to increase her morphine.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • The fund sparked widespread condemnation and a standoff between the White House and Congress, with Senate Republicans refusing to pass an immigration enforcement spending bill unless the fund was limited or scrapped.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • As the video drew more attention, protesters gathered at the Shelby Police Department Friday to denounce the officer’s actions and call on the department to take action before he was fired, CNN affiliate WBTV reported.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
  • The song, and its accompanying video featuring Bryan dancing on a dock, was ripped online, and launched a string of comments denouncing the track — about, yep, fishing and hunting, golfing and drinking — as the product of a large language model.
    Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2026
Adjective
  • Even when degraded, enzymes have stable backbones that might be capable of catalyzing reactions, said Sudha Rajamani, an astrobiologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune who wasn’t involved in the study.
    Siddhant Pusdekar, Quanta Magazine, 1 June 2026
  • According to the company, QTT enables highly secure and resilient position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services, helping maintain accurate timing and synchronization even when traditional GPS and radio-frequency signals are unavailable, degraded, or intentionally jammed.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • Historically speaking, the Allied Supreme Commander wasn’t considered an angry brute so much as a steady diplomat who was capable of sudden, persuasive rage.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026
  • Even the consumer-level codes that encrypt your online banking are so hard to break that every computer on the planet working together would need longer than the age of the universe to brute-force them apart.
    David M. Ewalt, Scientific American, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • Rivas led a recent charge to deny the renewal of Gabriella Charter School, which uses a substantial portion of the Echo Park campus where the district operates Logan Academy for Global Ecology.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
  • On Friday, Musk also denied a Bloomberg report that SpaceX valuation was lowered on Friday, reaffirming that the rocket and satellite company will have a blockbuster IPO and comfortably dominate against other historic IPO deals.
    Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 29 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Reprobate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprobate. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

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