opprobrium
Americannoun
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the disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy.
-
a cause or object of such disgrace or reproach.
noun
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the state of being abused or scornfully criticized
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reproach or censure
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a cause of disgrace or ignominy
Etymology
Origin of opprobrium
1650–60; < Latin: reproach, equivalent to op- op- + probr ( um ) infamy, disgrace + -ium -ium
Explanation
If you go against or oppose what's good, you might earn opprobrium — the opposite of getting attention for something good. Bad behavior leads to opprobrium. If you throw a soft drink off the theater balcony, the opprobrium might keep you from getting dates to the movies. Even though the words aren't related, the "opp-" of the word opprobrium sounds a bit like the "app" part of "inappropriate." Opprobrium isn't an action that leads to disgrace, it's something that comes from the inappropriate thing that was done. A very inappropriate act leads to opprobrium for the person who did the act. "Infamy" — extreme dishonor, often with lasting consequences — is a synonym for opprobrium.
Vocabulary lists containing opprobrium
Frankenstein
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Jane Eyre
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The opprobrium that ensued in the course of a shamelessly one-sided trial shredded their reputations, cost them their jobs and led to an incurable banishment from public life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
For that reason, I’m constantly amazed and grateful, given that this column relies on people sharing their stories and risking opprobrium from strangers by asking for advice.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025
In recent years, however, the speakers have played pre-planned programming that ranges from outright opprobrium to more subtle messaging intended to imbue listeners with pro-South Korea sympathies.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025
Well, getting mad is just what Van Orden does, whether the target of his opprobrium is Gaetz, Joe Biden, or a group of teens enjoying themselves.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2024
Not long after this, two Peeralee Brahmins of Calcutta made an effort to wipe out the opprobrium of Peeralism, but were disappointed, though they had expended a very large sum of money.
From The Hindoos as they Are A Description of the Manners, Customs and the Inner Life of Hindoo Society in Bengal by Bose, Shib Chunder
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
