Definition of OPPROBRIUM

opprobrium

Meanings

Plural: opprobria, opprobriums

Noun

  • state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
  • a state of extreme dishonor; - F.D.Roosevelt
    • "the name was a by-word of scorn and opprobrium throughout the city"
  • A cause, object, or situation of disgrace or shame.
  • Disgrace or bad reputation arising from exceedingly shameful behaviour; ignominy.
  • Scornful contempt or reproach; (countable) an instance of this.
  • Behaviour which is disgraceful or shameful.

Origin / Etymology

PIE word
*h₁epi
Learned borrowing from Latin opprobrium, obprobrium (“a reproach, a taunt; disgrace, shame; dishonour; scandal”, noun), from opprobrō, obprobrō (“to reproach, upbraid; to taunt”) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns). Opprobrō, obprobrō are derived from ob- (prefix meaning ‘against’) + probrum (“disgrace, shame; abuse, insult”, noun) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pro- (“forward; toward”) + *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”), in the sense of something brought up to reproach a person).
The plural form opprobria is borrowed from Latin opprobria.
Cognates
* French opprobre
* Italian obbrobrio
* Portuguese ouprobio (obsolete), opróbrio
* Spanish oprobrio (obsolete), oprobio

Antonyms

fame

Scrabble Score: 18

opprobrium is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
opprobrium is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
opprobrium is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 23

opprobrium is a valid Words With Friends word