opprobrious
[uh-proh-bree-uhs]
- conveying or expressing opprobrium, as language or a speaker: opprobrious invectives.
- outrageously disgraceful or shameful: opprobrious conduct.
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Origin of opprobrious
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin opprobriōsus, equivalent to Latin opprobri(um) opprobrium + -ōsus -ous
Synonyms
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
contemptuous, damaging, defamatory, despicable, disparaging, humiliating, injurious, insolent, insulting, invective, malevolent, malign, malignant, notorious, offensive, pejorative, scandalous, scurrilous, spiteful, truculentExamples from the Web for opprobrious
Contemporary Examples
To my great relief, I was mentioned only once or twice and not in opprobrious terms.
Historical Examples
But who ever heard the opprobrious term 'fortune-hunter' given to a woman?
Molly BawnMargaret Wolfe Hamilton
One might as well cast the opprobrious text in the face of the moon and stars.
The Foot-path WayBradford Torrey
"I tell thee I'm not the man for thee," adding an opprobrious name.
Mary BartonElizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
"Now that is young in the opprobrious sense of the word," said Sir George.
The Beth BookSarah Grand
The most opprobrious epithets were applied to this departure.
opprobrious
- expressing scorn, disgrace, or contempt
- shameful or infamous
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for opprobrious
adj.
"full of reproach, intended to bring disgrace," late 14c., from Old French oprobrieus (Modern French opprobrieux), or directly from Late Latin opprobriosus, from Latin opprobare "to reproach, taunt," from ob "against" (see ob-) + probrum "reproach, infamy." Etymological sense is "disgrace attached to conduct considered shameful." Related: Opprobriously; opprobriousness.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper