obloquy

noun

ˈä-blə-kwē How to pronounce obloquy (audio)
Definition of obloquynext
1
as in abuse
harsh insulting language unable to mount a rational defense of her position, she unleashed a torrent of obloquy on her opponent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shame
the state of having lost the esteem of others although he had beaten the murder rap, the accused murderer was condemned to live out his days in perpetual obloquy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word obloquy distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of obloquy are abuse, billingsgate, invective, and vituperation. While all these words mean "vehemently expressed condemnation or disapproval," obloquy suggests defamation and consequent shame and disgrace.

subjected to obloquy and derision

When would abuse be a good substitute for obloquy?

The synonyms abuse and obloquy are sometimes interchangeable, but abuse, the most general term, usually implies the anger of the speaker and stresses the harshness of the language.

scathing verbal abuse

In what contexts can billingsgate take the place of obloquy?

While the synonyms billingsgate and obloquy are close in meaning, billingsgate implies practiced fluency and variety of profane or obscene abuse.

directed a stream of billingsgate at the cabdriver

Where would invective be a reasonable alternative to obloquy?

The words invective and obloquy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, invective implies a comparable vehemence but suggests greater verbal and rhetorical skill and may apply to a public denunciation.

blistering political invective

When can vituperation be used instead of obloquy?

Although the words vituperation and obloquy have much in common, vituperation implies fluent and sustained abuse.

a torrent of vituperation

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 obloquy Future problems Paxton’s ability to brush aside opprobrium and obloquy in Texas politics is nearly unrivaled. — Lauren McGaughy, Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2023 That’s a shame, because the airline’s 11 outside directors are arguably the guiltiest of the guilty parties in the company’s recent fiasco, the most deserving of obloquy. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2023 This kind of bitter obloquy can be found in the editorial pages of many global publications. — Annabelle Timsit, Quartz, 29 Apr. 2021 The only freedom and independence are in learning to be equally indifferent to both praise and obloquy. — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 27 Aug. 2019 Years later, Adams wrote that his decision ‘procured me anxiety, and obloquy …. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, 8 June 2018 The cross-dressing women were not often the target of obloquy or mockery. — Longreads, 8 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obloquy
  1. abuse
  2. shame
  3. insult
  4. disgrace
  5. vituperation
  6. odium
  7. criticism
  8. contempt
Noun
  • Hisbah members also face widespread allegations of rights abuses in their enforcement operations, including subjecting offenders to dehumanizing punishments such as public beatings or shaming.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • An autopsy identified multiple injuries, and the DuPage County Coroner’s Office ultimately determined that his death was caused by injuries resulting from child abuse and classified the death as a homicide, the news release said.
    — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of abuse
Noun
  • There can be a lot of shame in the discussion if parents are in debt, Kerner said.
    — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Not just shame but gross unfitness for serving in a role at a state university.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of shame
Noun
  • He was subsequently dismissed by Dior and, months later, found guilty by a French court of making public insults based on origin, religion, race, or ethnicity.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The arrest came after Kelley Wolf had reportedly made a series of hostile social media posts, which featured insults and allegations against various friends and family, including her ex-husband, Wolf.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • When Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace over tax evasion, Kennerly was tapped to photograph one of his potential replacements as vice president, Gerald Ford.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Until Graham Platner’s Maine Senate campaign exploded in disgrace, Platner was routinely cast as a son of privilege playing Carhartt dress-up.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgrace
Noun
  • As these things go, the tweet exposes Hotez to public vituperation on social media and possibly physical harm.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
  • On March 12, Nickels tweeted a notice of a scientific conference in Washington at which Peter Daszak, the head of a research funding organization who has long been the target of vituperation by lab-leak advocates, would appear on a panel.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Definition of vituperation
Noun
  • Pashinyan had led the movement to oust Moscow’s influence in Armenia; he was now saddled with the odium of losing Karabakh on his watch.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
  • By heaping odium on Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, one of several prominent opposition figures, the government gave a divided opposition a leader to unite around.
    — Christopher de Bellaigue, The New York Review of Books, 13 Oct. 2022
Definition of odium
Noun
  • But the lobbyist has doubled down on her criticism of McCuskey in a recent letter to Illinois’ four top legislative leaders and obtained by the Tribune.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The sharpest criticism of the deal came from Venezuelan opposition figures, who argue that a caretaker administration installed after a foreign military operation has no standing to sign away a century of oil rights.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticism
Noun
  • Because if the objection were simply to wealth, consumerism, vanity, or profiting from attention, our contempt would be distributed much more evenly.
    — Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This behavior by a defendant is not permitted in court and is often grounds for removal from the courtroom or a contempt-of-court charge.
    — Dr. Susan Hatters Friedman, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of contempt

Browse Nearby Words

obloquies
obloquy
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Cite this Entry

“Obloquy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obloquy. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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