reprehensible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reprehensible
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin reprehēnsibilis, equivalent to Latin reprehēns ( us ) (past participle of reprehendere to reprehend ) + -ibilis -ible
Explanation
Reprehensible means deserving of blame or strong criticism. It is a strong word — your mother might forgive you for doing something bad, but something reprehensible? That's worse. If a politician steals funds that are meant to provide care for the elderly, that's reprehensible! Near synonyms of this adjective are "blameworthy" and "culpable." The word reprehensible is from Middle English, from Latin reprehensus, plus the suffix -ibilis, "deserving of, capable of." If someone is reprehended, they are blamed or strongly criticized.
Vocabulary lists containing reprehensible
Of Mice and Men
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Grade 10, List 4
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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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 "damning" Letby hospital report is also the focus of the Daily Mirror's front page, with Health Secretary Yvette Cooper weighing in on the "reprehensible" treatment of parents who lost their babies.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Bargatze catapulted to mainstream status after portraying a silly version of the famously reprehensible though widely respected George Washington on “SNL” without antagonizing anyone, least of all Washington.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
“He has this eye patch. He rides this Godzilla-sized dragon. And he’s done some pretty reprehensible things.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The majority underscores that they find the President’s statements reprehensible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
When Candy spoke they both jumped as though they had been caught doing something reprehensible.
From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
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.
