opprobrium

American  

[uh-proh-bree-uhm] / əˈproʊ bri əm /

noun

1. the disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy.

2. a cause or object of such disgrace or reproach.

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opprobrium British  

/ əˈprəʊbrɪəm /

noun

1. the state of being abused or scornfully criticized

2. reproach or censure

3. a cause of disgrace or ignominy

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Etymology

Origin of opprobrium

1650–60; < Latin: reproach, equivalent to op- op- + probr ( um ) infamy, disgrace + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

And the old political playbook — confession, contrition, capitulation — is obviously no longer operative, as candidates find it not only possible but even advantageous to brazen their way through storms of uproar and opprobrium.

From Los Angeles Times

“And frankly, as the father of three daughters, so do I. The opprobrium is well deserved, but that is not why we’re here.”

From Seattle Times

Mr. Amitay once joked to the New York Times that “with all the opprobrium that has been heaped on lobbyists,” he had taken to describing himself instead as a “corridorist.”

From Washington Post

Among the educated elite, there are fears that compatriots will respond to Western opprobrium with a redoubled belief that he alone is the country’s true protector.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, said Ms. Threlkeld of the Stimson Center, Pakistan may be willing to accept the international community’s opprobrium, as well as spillover violence and refugees, in exchange for greater influence in Kabul.

From New York Times

Related Words

• ignominy
• infamy