Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Deserving or causing disgrace or shame; extremely disgraceful: Describes conduct, character, or actions that are so morally reprehensible as to bring public shame and dishonor.
   • Expressing scorn, contempt, or severe criticism; abusive: Describes language that is harshly insulting, reproachful, and intended to vilify.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective (Disgraceful):

  • The dictator's opprobrious regime was condemned by the international community.
  • History will remember the invasion as an opprobrious act of aggression.

• Adjective (Abusive/Insulting):

  • The critic's review was filled with opprobrious remarks about the author's talent.
  • He shouted opprobrious insults at the referee after the controversial call.

Advanced Usage

• "to heap opprobrious scorn upon": to direct a great amount of abusive contempt toward someone or something.

  • The editorial heaped opprobrious scorn upon the corrupt officials.

• "an opprobrious epithet": a highly insulting or abusive term used to describe someone.

  • Using racial slurs as opprobrious epithets is completely unacceptable.

Variants and Related Words

• Opprobrium (n): The public disgrace, shame, or severe criticism arising from outrageously shameful conduct.

  • The company faced widespread opprobrium for its environmental negligence.

• Opprobriously (adv): In a disgraceful or abusive manner.

  • The defeated general was opprobriously dismissed from his post.

Synonyms

• Disgraceful: Bringing or deserving disgrace.
• Ignominious: Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.
• Shameful: Worthy of or causing shame.
• Abusive: Extremely insulting and offensive in language.
• Vituperative: Bitter and abusive in criticism.

Related Phrases

• "to be held in opprobrium": to be regarded with public disgrace or contempt.

  • The policy was held in opprobrium by human rights organizations.

• "to bring opprobrium upon": to cause disgrace or shame to be directed at someone or something.

  • His actions brought opprobrium upon his entire family.

Related Idioms

• "A monument to opprobrium": Something that stands as a lasting symbol of disgrace.
  • The abandoned prison became a monument to the opprobrious practices of the former regime.

Adjective

1. (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
   • Man...has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands- Rachel Carson
   • an ignominious retreat
   • inglorious defeat
   • an opprobrious monument to human greed
   • a shameful display of cowardice
2. expressing offensive reproach