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 The cross-dressing women were not often the target of obloquy or mockery. — Longreads, 8 May 2018 Years later, Adams wrote that his decision ‘procured me anxiety, and obloquy …. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, 8 June 2018 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 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 Future problems Paxton’s ability to brush aside opprobrium and obloquy in Texas politics is nearly unrivaled. — Lauren McGaughy, Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obloquy
  1. abuse
  2. shame
  3. insult
  4. disgrace
  5. vituperation
  6. odium
  7. criticism
  8. contempt
Noun
  • Melvin Shimkus, 52, was arrested on a charge of vulnerable adult abuse after allegedly leaving his 31-year-old son, Hunter Shimkus, in a bathtub for seven weeks, according to local outlets, AZ Family, 12 News and Fox 10 TV, citing court documents.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • There was a sense of hope in 2022 for women like Nakajima, an immigrant who sought safety in a new country and struggled with abuse from her family and strange men.
    — Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of abuse
Noun
  • With wonder and with great shame the yodel is an orphaned sound, a sound that turns the serenade toward an addressee that is destined to never hear it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • Altitude is going to be a leveller, just a shame there are no West Bromwich Albion players in the England squad.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of shame
Noun
  • The insults often accompany reports and even videos of kids and teens engaging in reckless riding — weaving through traffic, running stop signs, ignoring pedestrians, and performing stunts like wheelies in opposing lanes, sometimes without helmets.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
  • During the night shift at Illinois's The Wiener's Circle, sassy Poochi Rollins slings Chicago red hots loaded with mustard, relish, onions, and more—with a side of insult comedy.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • The man who’d held the presidency before Gerald Ford had resigned in disgrace two years earlier.
    — Lynn Schmidt, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Well, its’ interesting because for many years the Republican Party revered Reagan much more than Nixon, partly because Reagan was a successful president and Nixon, of course, ended his presidency in disgrace.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
Definition of disgrace
Noun
  • Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
  • The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.
    — Matt Motta, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 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
  • The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, and thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest the law.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Asked about the greenwashing criticism, a Council spokesperson said companies active in the fossil fuel sector can still contribute to the transition, for example by developing low-carbon fuels or building electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
    — Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of criticism
Noun
  • Criminal charges from contempt of Congress referrals are rare.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • One of the joys of Air, down to the breathy purity of its title, is its contempt for design—an easy target, but one for which Kracht has sharpened his blade.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of contempt

Browse Nearby Words

obloquies
obloquy
obnoxious
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Cite this Entry

“Obloquy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obloquy. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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