reprehensible

[ rep-ri-hen-suh-buhl ]

adjective

1. deserving of reproof, rebuke, or censure; blameworthy.

   Synonyms: culpable

   Antonyms: praiseworthy

reprehensible

/ ˌrɛprɪˈhɛnsəbəl /

adjective

1. open to criticism or rebuke; blameworthy

Derived Forms

• ˌrepreˌhensiˈbility, noun
• ˌrepreˈhensibly, adverb

Other Words From

• repre·hensi·bili·ty repre·hensi·ble·ness noun
• repre·hensi·bly adverb
• nonrep·re·hensi·bili·ty noun
• nonrep·re·hensi·ble adjective
• nonrep·re·hensi·ble·ness noun
• nonrep·re·hensi·bly adverb
• unrep·re·hensi·ble adjective
• unrep·re·hensi·ble·ness noun
• unrep·re·hensi·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of reprehensible¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin reprehēnsibilis, equivalent to Latin reprehēns ( us ) (past participle of reprehendere to reprehend ) + -ibilis -ible

Word History and Origins

Origin of reprehensible¹

C14: from Late Latin reprehensibilis , from Latin reprehendere to hold back, reprove; see reprehend

Example Sentences

"The images and reports for Amsterdam and what we've seen this weekend of antisemitic attacks against Israelis and Jews are nothing short of shocking and reprehensible," he told journalists.

From BBC

"I do understand that this reminds us of pogroms and that this happened in Amsterdam is reprehensible. Not only people got injured last night but the history of our city has been deeply damaged, the Jewish culture has been threatened," she said.

From BBC

Worse than any of that was that he’d also been a public critic of Donald Trump, calling Trump “reprehensible” and an “idiot” and writing that Christians who made excuses for the comments caught on the Access Hollywood tape needed God’s forgiveness.

From Slate

A guy whose own running mate referred to him as “America’s Hitler,” called him a reprehensible idiot and “a total fraud,” will soon be moving back into the White House after months of juvenile name-calling and vulgarity.

From Los Angeles Times

I saw it repeatedly, whether it was reassuring Rob Portman supporters — a group of Republicans who largely condemned Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 — that he, too, found Trump’s personality reprehensible, or commiserating with a liberal town hall guest on gender disparities in STEM, or his attempts to win me over.

From Salon

Related Words

• culpable
• disgraceful
• objectionable
• sinful