Word of the Day : February 23, 2024
Opprobium
noun uh-PROH-bree-um
What It Means
- Opprobrium refers to very strong disapproval or criticism of a person or thing especially by a large number of people.
- // They’re going ahead with the plan despite public opprobrium.
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OPPROBIUM In Context
“Caught up in a whirlwind of public opprobrium, … the brand’s executives seemed unsure how to react, before finally offering up statements of public apologies and self-recrimination.” — Vanessa Friedman, The New York Times, 1 June 2023
Did You Know?
Unfamiliar with opprobrium? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Just kidding—unfamiliarity with a word is hardly grounds for, well, opprobrium. We’re here to learn! Besides, opprobrium is quite formal and has few close relations in English. It comes from the Latin verb opprobrāre, which means “to reproach.” That verb, in turn, comes from the noun probrum, meaning “a disgraceful act” or “reproach.” The adjective form of opprobrium is opprobrious, which in English means “deserving of scorn” or “expressing contempt.” One might commit an “opprobrious crime” or be berated with “opprobrious language,” for example.
Aquinas College Library 