Definition of obloquynext

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obloquy
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
Noun
  • Women often bear the brunt of the shame and grief that comes from divorce, and for many women, divorce can be seen as a personal failure.
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • Concurrently, adult children often feel shame about accepting money and can also feel judged by the older generation.
    Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs.
    Drew Pittock, USA Today, 25 June 2026
  • Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
    Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • Just two years earlier a president had resigned in disgrace after what had been one of the nation’s toughest constitutional challenges, putting immense pressure on Congress and the Supreme Court to respond to a rogue executive branch.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
  • Shifting gears, my PGA TOUR betting record this season is a disgrace.
    Geoff Clark OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
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
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
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
Noun
  • Still, the 2025-26 campaign could have descended into historical ignominy.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 26 May 2026
  • Now players such as Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Cristiano Ronaldo share the ignominy.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Obloquy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obloquy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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