vituperation

See also: vitupération

English

WOTD – 27 February 2016

Etymology

From Latin vituperātiō (“censure, blame”), equivalent to vituperate +‎ -ion.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /v(a)ɪˌtjuːpəˈɹeɪʃən/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /v(a)ɪˌt(j)upəˈɹeɪʃən/
• Hyphenation: vi‧tu‧per‧a‧tion

Noun

vituperation (countable and uncountable, plural vituperations)

1. The act of vituperating; severely blaming or censuring.
2. Criticism or invective that is sustained and overly harsh; abuse, severe blame or censure.
   • 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter LIX, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 120:

     ...but, for several successive days, as she was careful in observing the strictest regimen (..), she actually became much better, especially as to these favourable circumstances was added great calmness of temper, she wisely substituting the quiet sneer of contempt for angry vituperation and vindictive scorn.

   • 1869 May, Anthony Trollope, “Hard Words”, in He Knew He Was Right, volume I, London: Strahan and Company, […], →OCLC, page 78:

     "Do you call me a spy?" / "And what have you called me? Because you are a husband, is the privilege of vituperation to be all on your side?"

   • 1883, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter 18, in Life on the Mississippi, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, →OCLC:

     His face turned red with passion; he made one bound, hurled me across the house with a sweep of his arm, spun the wheel down, and began to pour out a stream of vituperation upon me which lasted till he was out of breath.

   • 1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter X, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC:

     The rather too inclusive speech brought down a torrent of vituperation from other quarters upon fair Tess’s unlucky head […]

   • 1947, Miriam Allen deFord, “Laureate of Bohemia: George Sterlin”, in They Were San Franciscans, Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., page 306:

     Sterling himself, though he had the most picturesque and inimitable vocabulary of vituperation, was highly squeamish about ordinary smut or profanity. He had indeed that nice-Nelliness which is often characteristic of the Don Juan type.

Related terms

• vituperable
• vituperant
• vituperate
• vituperative
• vituperatively
• vituperator
• vituperatory
• vituperous
• vituperously

 

Translations

criticism or invective that is sustained and overly harsh

• Bulgarian: хули (bg) f pl (huli), ругатни (bg) f pl (rugatni)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 謾罵／谩骂 (zh) (mànmà), 責罵／责骂 (zh) (zémà)

• Dutch: afkeuring (nl),verwerping (nl)
• French: désapprobation (fr) f, répugnance (fr) f
• German: Schmähung (de) f, Beschimpfung (de) f
• Hungarian: szidás (hu)
• Irish: aithisiú m, scalladóireacht f, spídiúchán m
• Japanese: 悪罵 (ja) (あくば, akuba)
• Swedish: smädelse (sv), skymfning

References

• “vituperation”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC..