obloquy
playDefinition
1 : a strongly condemnatory utterance : abusive language
2 : the condition of one that is discredited : bad repute
Did You Know?
English speakers can choose from several synonyms to name a tongue-lashing. Abuse is a good general term that usually stresses the anger of the speaker and the harshness of the language, as in "scathing verbal abuse." Vituperation often specifies fluent, sustained abuse; "a torrent of vituperation" is a typical use of this term. Invective implies vehemence comparable to vituperation but may suggest greater verbal and rhetorical skill; it may also apply especially to a public denunciation, as in "blistering political invective." Obloquy, which comes from the Late Latin ob- (meaning "against") plus loquī (meaning "to speak"), suggests defamation and consequent shame and disgrace; a typical example of its use is "subjected to obloquy and derision."
Examples
The manager walked quickly back to the dugout as insults and obloquy rained down from the stands.
"During [literary critic Harold Bloom's] extremely prolific career, his audience was split between adulation and obloquy." — Benjamin Ivry, The Forward, 14 Oct. 2019
Word Family Quiz
Fill in the blanks to complete an adjective that derives from Latin loquī ("to speak") and means "speaking in or characterized by a high-flown style or manner": m _ _ n _ lo _ u _ n _.
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'Obloquy' — Video Word of the Day 2/11/2020
noun - abusive language or bad repute
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