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. slam
  4. insult
  5. savage
  6. criticize
Verb
  • Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Electrons can then leak out of the chain, bonding with oxygen in the wrong parts of the mitochondria to form highly reactive free radicals that attack and deform neighboring molecules.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Verb
  • By the time his daughter shows up, flanked by her mom and upright dentist stepdad, Lee’s moved on from scolding the room to thanking his mother for believing him.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • District of Columbia Judge Ana Reyes angrily scolded government attorneys in a hearing to block the government from cutting down more trees at East Potomac Golf Course.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of scold
Verb
  • Modeling work suggests the duo will keep orbiting our star for millions of years before ultimately slamming into either Earth or Venus.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Kim Bruno Espinosa slammed ICE at the press conference and accused the agency of misidentifying the man with Parra.
    — Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of slam
Verb
  • Respect for people, respect for property, and therefore a commitment not to insult or destroy.
    — Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Morgan is insulted, and the scene takes a turn for the cliché.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult
Verb
  • Patinkin is the latest star to voice his support for Digger after the film was savaged by many critics and bombed at the box office.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Or that in its wake, Ducks coach Dan Lanning had savaged him and his program multiple times.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of savage
Verb
  • Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, criticized the state's election officials for not cooperating with the department's demands.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But others criticized the tactics used and family separations.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

vittles
vituperate
vituperated
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Cite this Entry

“Vituperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vituperate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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