reprobate 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of reprobatenext
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards a reprobate judge who could be bribed, and often with astonishing ease

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reprobate

2 of 3

noun

as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person a program for rehabilitating hard-core reprobates and turning them into hard-working, law-abiding citizens

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reprobate

3 of 3

verb

ˈre-prə-ˌbāt How to pronounce reprobate (audio)
1
as in to reject
to be unwilling to grant the board will most likely reprobate the request for parole

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to refuse
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to without hesitation she reprobated such an indecent idea

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to denounce
to declare to be morally wrong or evil spent much of her talk reprobating the callous indifference of a materialistic society to the suffering of people in the third world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reprobate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reprobate are censure, condemn, criticize, denounce, and reprehend. While all these words mean "to find fault with openly," reprobate implies strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction.

reprobated his son's unconventional lifestyle

When would censure be a good substitute for reprobate?

The words censure and reprobate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, censure carries a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding.

a Senator formally censured by his peers

When could condemn be used to replace reprobate?

The synonyms condemn and reprobate are sometimes interchangeable, but condemn usually suggests an unqualified and final unfavorable judgment.

condemned the government's racial policies

Where would criticize be a reasonable alternative to reprobate?

The words criticize and reprobate can be used in similar contexts, but criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions.

criticized the police for using violence

How are the words denounce and condemn related as synonyms of reprobate?

Denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration.

a pastoral letter denouncing abortion

When might reprehend be a better fit than reprobate?

While in some cases nearly identical to reprobate, reprehend implies both criticism and severe rebuking.

reprehends the self-centeredness of today's students

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of reprobate
Adjective
Batiste is not a reprobate minstrel like late-night regular Lil Nas X; yet the weakness of both is held in equivalent esteem by the cultural mainstream. — Armond White, National Review, 6 Apr. 2022 For reference, consider the late, reprobate Southwest Conference. — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 13 Jan. 2020
Noun
That pair of reprobates retired from politics due to ill health. — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 25 June 2025 Like many of Anderson’s protagonists, Gustave is a reprobate of the first order, romancing old ladies for their fortunes and such. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Verb
Gasoline is dirty, smelly, toxic, and environmentally reprobate. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reprobate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprobate
  1. corrupt
  2. villain
  3. reject
  4. refuse
  5. denounce
  6. degraded
  7. brute
  8. deny
Adjective
  • And Alice’s superior, FBI agent Nora Washington (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), realizes that her corrupt boss Ed George (Danny McCarthy), who was covering up Easton’s crimes, will retain his ASAC position at the FBI.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • That strategy allowed the Kremlin to publicly deny the existence of political repression while portraying the opposition as inherently corrupt.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Noun
  • Hailing from London as the son of hardscrabble fruit sellers, Winstone was often asked to channel his rough-and-tumble upbringing and pre-acting career as a boxer into mobster and villain roles.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Standing in his way is a mysterious villain intent on his destruction.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Verb
  • The Athletic reported on Monday that all parties have now been in direct communication to confirm the deal is off after City’s bid of an initial £75m and £5m in add-ons was rejected.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Palal also rejected the defense’s contention that Davis fabricated his accounts to make money.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • The filing accused Thomas of having refused to allow nannies into his house with his daughter, including one assigned by the court, and of using drugs.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026
  • When the district refused to scrap those policies, the agency rescinded the unrelated federal grants.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of refuse
Verb
  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was blindsided on Tuesday when two members of his caucus voted with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to put a resolution denouncing socialism on the floor for a full vote.
    — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
  • During the news conference, Sheinbaum denounced the idea that the music contest was a form of censorship.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of denounce
Adjective
  • Energy analysts have consistently cautioned that raising Venezuelan output meaningfully will take years and billions of dollars in repairs to degraded infrastructure.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • That matters because degraded land is not simply an environmental concern.
    — Shooka Bidarian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of degraded
Noun
  • Most sportsmen wonder how any whitetail bucks, let alone a brute such as Kontras’, could have been so easily patterned.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The show’s depiction of Hugh as a family man has been much more sympathetic than the book’s description of him as a power-hungry brute.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of brute
Verb
  • Anderson, who long had been considered a suspect in Shakur’s killing, denied involvement before his death in an unrelated Compton shooting in 1998 at age 23.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Edwards has denied the allegations, but ended his reelection bid after the House Ethics Committee posted their investigative findings last month.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of deny

Browse Nearby Words

reproachingly
reprobate
reprobated
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Reprobate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprobate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All