obloquy

American  

[ob-luh-kwee] / ˈɒb lə kwi /

noun

plural

obloquies

1. censure, blame, or abusive language aimed at a person or thing, especially by numerous persons or by the general public.

   Synonyms:

   revilement, aspersion, calumny, reproach

   Antonyms:

   praise

2. discredit, disgrace, or bad repute resulting from public blame, abuse, or denunciation.

   Antonyms:

   credit

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obloquy British  

/ ˈɒbləkwɪ /

noun

1. defamatory or censorious statements, esp when directed against one person

2. disgrace brought about by public abuse

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Other Word Forms

• obloquial adjective

Etymology

Origin of obloquy

1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin obloquium contradiction, equivalent to Latin obloqu ( ī ) to contradict ( ob- ob- + loquī to speak) + -ium -ium

Explanation

If you are on the receiving end of obloquy, then society has turned against you and you are in a state of disgrace. Poor Hester Prynne who was forced to wear a red "A" on her chest for "adultery" knows all about obloquy. If you break the word obloquy into its two Latin roots, you have ob, meaning “against” and loqui, meaning "to speak" — so obloquy means “to speak against," in an especially mean way. Obloquy can also be the result of public shame, or criticism. Sometimes obloquy takes the form of offensive or rude language: "It's not easy, but I've found it's best to ignore my sister's obloquy when I beat her in Monopoly."

Example Sentences

The statements made by the D.A.’s office, the complaint alleges, made Thomas “the object of obloquy and ridicule.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2024

Pola Oloixarac’s debut, “Savage Theories,” a multilayered novel spanning eras and continents, generated both adulation and obloquy.

From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2021

Barnes is seeking “damages in an amount not less than $15,000 but not more than $50,000 against each defendant” because his clients were “subjected to public hatred, contempt, scorn, obloquy, and shame.”

From Fox News • Jan. 10, 2020

And Falstaff sentenced to a world of obloquy.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 28, 2019

A great deal of obloquy fell on Lawrence and his colleagues at the Rad Lab, who had stood united, and virtually alone, against Oppenheimer.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik