vituperate

American  

[vahy-too-puh-rayt, -tyoo-, vi-] / vaɪˈtu pəˌreɪt, -ˈtju-, vɪ- /

verb (used with object)

vituperated, vituperating

1. to address with harsh or abusive language; revile.

   Synonyms:

   berate, vilify, censure

   Antonyms:

   commend, praise

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vituperate British  

/ vɪˈtjuːpəˌreɪt /

verb

1. to berate or rail (against) abusively; revile

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Other Word Forms

• vituperator
  noun
• unvituperated
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of vituperate

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin vituperātus (past participle of vituperāre “to spoil, blame”), equivalent to vituperā(re) ( vitu-, variant stem of vitium “defect, blemish, vice” + -perāre, combining form of parāre “to furnish, provide”; see prepare) + -tus past participle suffix; see -ate ¹

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Explanation

To vituperate is to speak or write in an extremely negative way about someone. Just as vituperation consists of negative, explosive, malicious outbursts, to vituperate is to communicate in this way. Negative political ads vituperate against opponents. When you insult someone and swear at them, you vituperate. People with a short temper tend to vituperate often — it's similar to railing, vilifying, and reviling. The root word is the Latin vituperationem, "blame or censuring," from vitium, "fault or defect."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vituperate vituperated vituperating

Mr. Youngkin’s comment about Mr. Vance more or less obliges him not to vituperate the vice president in the usual way of presidential primaries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

They vituperate even though what she and Sanders have said is, well, true.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 20, 2017

Over the next dozen years, he would vituperate again and again against Roosevelt's seemingly mystical ability to direct the national conversation.

From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2011

And may I add a word of deep appreciation for the highly intelligent letter of Mr. Frank Vincent Waddy, on the subject of our vituperate critic, Cyril D. H. G. Dillington-Dowse.

From Time Magazine Archive

The "one" hangs; the "many" command by the dignity of force; the "few" vituperate and scold.

From The Monikins by James Fenimore Cooper

Nonetheless his St. Denis working class constituents have twice more re-elected him although he was opposed and vituperated by Communist candidates.

From Time Magazine Archive

Not a field was encroached upon, not a house molested, not a person harmed or insulted, by troops that had been so harassed and vituperated by a people now entirely at their mercy.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 18, April, 1859 by Various

We had indeed been roundly vituperated in argument by the Liberator.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 370, August 1846 by Various

I have often thought, when I have heard the gall of bitter reproach and envenomed language hurled against your name, that they who spoke so rashly, little understood the man they vituperated.

From The Pilot by James Fenimore Cooper

I was taken from my nurse’s in a hurry, and, though my clothes were quite new, my face entitled me to rank among the much vituperated unwashed.

From Rattlin the Reefer by Frederick Marryat

Interfering with institutions, ruining reputation, blasting bulwarks, patronizing poachers, vituperating venerated—' 'Quite true,' cried Aunt Catherine, with spirit.

From Dynevor Terrace: or, the clue of life — Volume 1 by Charlotte Mary Yonge

First the guides commenced vituperating the long haired oxen that were wandering beyond the beaten path. 

From Travels in Tartary, Thibet, and China During the years 1844-5-6 Volume 2 by Évariste Régis Huc

The intolerable injustice of vituperating the bribed to an assembly of bribers, has goaded their sense of justice beyond endurance.

From The Letters of Charles Dickens Vol. 2, 1857-1870 by Mamie Dickens

In the meantime the infant whom he was holding all the time in his arms very tenderly whilst he was vituperating, shut its eyes languidly; a sign of repletion.

From The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo

In 1879 I heard the Irish members in the House of Commons vituperating him after a manner that subsequently became unpleasantly familiar, but was then regarded as a gross breach of the conventions of debate.

From The Reminiscences of an Irish Land Agent by Sir Home Gordon, Bart.

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