vituperative
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vituperative
First recorded in 1720–30; vituperate + -ive
Explanation
Use the adjective vituperative to describe criticism that's so sharp it hurts. A vituperative review of a movie would make the director bitter for months. To correctly pronounce vituperative, remember that the first vowel sound is the long i sound, and the second syllable is accented: "vie-TOO-per-uh-tive." Being vituperative takes criticism to the next level. Vituperative criticism is harsh, scathing, even abusive. If a review or assessment is vituperative, it doesn't say "try harder next time." Instead it gives the sense of "go away and never come back."
Vocabulary lists containing vituperative
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "T" "U" "V" and "W"
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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.
Cooper had a more adventurous career than his vituperative “château years” might suggest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
When the film bases a character on a real person, it becomes downright vituperative.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2023
Whether Angela Merkel, an avid Wagner fan, is familiar with this vituperative statement is unclear, but its sentiments would hardly come as a surprise to her.
From New York Times ● Oct. 28, 2021
“On both sides, there’s really a lack of information. That’s why we have such extensive discussions and, in some cases, vituperative discussions,” Perlman said.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 20, 2021
When Calvin stopped replying to his letters, Servetus, based in Vienna, continued to send a stream of increasingly vituperative correspondence.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
