vituperate

verb

vī-ˈtü-pə-ˌrāt How to pronounce vituperate (audio)
Definition of vituperatenext
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly every week the minister would ascend the pulpit and vituperate the parishioners for a litany of vices

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb vituperate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vituperate are berate, rail, revile, scold, and upbraid. While all these words mean "to reproach angrily and abusively," vituperate suggests a violent reviling.

was vituperated for betraying his friends

In what contexts can berate take the place of vituperate?

While the synonyms berate and vituperate are close in meaning, berate suggests prolonged and often abusive scolding.

berated continually by an overbearing boss

When is it sensible to use rail instead of vituperate?

The meanings of rail and vituperate largely overlap; however, rail (at or against) stresses an unrestrained berating.

railed loudly at their insolence

When might revile be a better fit than vituperate?

The synonyms revile and vituperate are sometimes interchangeable, but revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred.

an alleged killer reviled in the press

Where would scold be a reasonable alternative to vituperate?

The words scold and vituperate can be used in similar contexts, but scold implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly.

angrily scolding the children

When can upbraid be used instead of vituperate?

While in some cases nearly identical to vituperate, upbraid implies censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds.

upbraided her assistants for poor research

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vituperate
  1. attack
  2. scold
  3. insult
  4. slam
  5. savage
  6. criticize
Verb
  • When Jensen then decides to go long, Collins and Pinnock move towards the near post and Wissa adjusts his position to be able to attack the second ball.
    — Mark Carey, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The Trump administration has attacked DEI on college campuses with particular zeal, threatening investigations, lawsuits and canceled federal funding.
    — Graham Kates, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of attack
Verb
  • Michelle Obama playfully scolded her husband, Barack Obama, on her new podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
  • According to Smith, James, who approached him in the third quarter during a timeout, scolded him for his commentary regarding his son and teammate, Bronny James.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of scold
Verb
  • Mental health is better than ever – haven't missed being abused by angry bots or insulted by toxic trolls.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
  • We have been insulted on multiple occasions by senior members of the administration.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of insult
Verb
  • Pino slammed the horn and floored the gas pedal, roaring into her backyard.
    — Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The move has sparked trade wars that could slam economic growth and lift prices for Americans still smarting from years of high inflation.
    — Kanishka Singh and Jasper Ward, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of slam
Verb
  • The show opened on Jan. 18 in Arkansas and this week played two shows at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre, where it was savaged by ostensible fans of the series, according to WXYZ Detroit, an ABC affiliate.
    — John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2025
  • Musk has increasingly involved himself in U.K. politics over the past several weeks, savaging the ruling Labour government and shining a spotlight on the mostly-Pakistani rape gang scandal.
    — Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Jan. 2025
Definition of savage
Verb
  • Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have sharply criticized the other Supreme Court judges for declining to hear a case called Alabama v. California.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Musk has repeatedly criticized Social Security, one of the government's most popular programs, and DOGE staffers have been working inside the agency.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of criticize
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Vituperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vituperate. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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