ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsVvituperative
ISEE/SSAThard
vituperative
Meaning: using harsh, angry, and abusive language
vituperative in a sentence
How vituperative is used in real sentences:
The vituperative review attacked the actor personally instead of judging the performance.
The principal rejected the letter's vituperative tone and asked for a calmer revision.
“Another became vituperative, accusing the programmers of incompetence until the chair redirected discussion toward the code.”
— from the passage When the Curve Breaks
“His speeches grow vituperative whenever another character questions him; he spits insults and answers doubt with furious denunciations, obscuring the actor's wounded intelligence.”
— from the passage The Engineered Tempest
“Reform meetings grew vituperative, directing furious insults at the Lords, while some supporters answered with sententious declarations about virtue and inevitable progress.”
— from the passage The Reform Standoff
Also read it in: Beyond the Gates
Synonyms for vituperative
Other words for vituperative — abusive, scathing, caustic and venomous — carry the same meaning.
- abusive
- scathing
- caustic
- venomous
Antonyms of vituperative
Words that mean the opposite of vituperative:
- complimentary
- polite
- mild
- approving
Where it comes from
From Latin vituperare 'to blame, censure' (vitium 'fault' + parare 'to prepare').
Memory hook
Vituperative sounds like words full of bitter vinegar.
Practice vituperative in the app