Vituperative   (pronounced vy-too-puh-ruh-tiv or vy-too-puh-ray-tiv; see note below) adjective


Definition

containing bitterness and verbal abuse; using condemnatory or contemptuous language; marked by severe censure; speaking revilingly.

Other Forms

Vituperation (pronounced vy-too-puh-ray-shun; see note below) noun

(Helpful tip: conversational use of the verb forms--VITUPERATE and VITUPERATING--is rare.)

(Note: in all of the above pronunciations, the first syllable may also be pronounced as vih- and the second syllable as -tyoo-)

Main Example

  • While many world leaders have embraced President Bush's stand on Iraq, others have criticized it; some even harshly. In an angry speech last month, Nobel laureate and former South African President Nelson Mandela spoke vituperatively about Bush, saying: "He is a president who has no foresight and cannot think clearly."

    Workplace Examples

  • I was with the CEO as he started going through this agreement. The moment he read clause 5, boy was he incensed! He began hurling a bunch of vituperations--things like "whoever drafted this ought to have their heads examined," and "why do we have such incompetent people in our company?"

  • Sure, I was vituperative in my comments about their screw up, but I have every right to be! Did you know it took me more than two years of sales calls to win that Coke account? And now, thanks to our bungling customer support guys, we have lost it.

    Other Examples

  • you saying to a colleague, "I understand your frustration and anger, but before sending out this e-mail, be sure to delete all these vituperative elements such as where you describe people as being thoughtless. . . inept. . .irresponsible. . .and so on."

  • a meeting between two bitterly divided groups ending in an outburst of vituperation

  • Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein easily topping the list of heads of state who have attracted much personal vituperation from world leaders

  • Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban racking up several hundred thousand dollars in fines for his vituperative remarks about the poor refereeing in pro basketball games: on one occasion he described the head of NBA officiating as someone who "couldn't manage a Dairy Queen"

    © 2003 V.J. Singal

    This Month's Other Words

    Rumination
    Predilection
    Sycophantic
    Intemperate and Temperate
    Disaffection
    Foment
    Disavow

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