Synonym Chooser

How does the verb vituperate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vituperate are berate, rail, revile, scold, and upbraid. While all these words mean "to reproach angrily and abusively," vituperate suggests a violent reviling.

was vituperated for betraying his friends

In what contexts can berate take the place of vituperate?

While the synonyms berate and vituperate are close in meaning, berate suggests prolonged and often abusive scolding.

berated continually by an overbearing boss

When is it sensible to use rail instead of vituperate?

The meanings of rail and vituperate largely overlap; however, rail (at or against) stresses an unrestrained berating.

railed loudly at their insolence

When might revile be a better fit than vituperate?

The synonyms revile and vituperate are sometimes interchangeable, but revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred.

an alleged killer reviled in the press

Where would scold be a reasonable alternative to vituperate?

The words scold and vituperate can be used in similar contexts, but scold implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly.

angrily scolding the children

When can upbraid be used instead of vituperate?

While in some cases nearly identical to vituperate, upbraid implies censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds.

upbraided her assistants for poor research

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vituperate
Verb
  • Every American should reject the president's and his cronies' illegitimate use of government power to attack his enemies.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Korematsu was just 22 years old and working hard to expand his family’s flower nursery outside San Francisco when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.
    Lauren Stienstra, Time, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The White House was reprimanded: A federal judge scolded the Trump administration for failing to try to return the man.
    Cate Martel, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
  • At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt scolded reporters for not understanding the president’s plans.
    Chris Megerian, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As the report highlighted, culture wars are about both sides attempting to impose their will by personally insulting others who hold opposing viewpoints, seeking ways to cancel the social and professional lifestyles of others, and preventing others from participating in public debates.
    Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The idea of an entertainer with no political experience who could win people over by insulting opponents and misbehaving hit just too close to home.
    Steve Greene, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Paxton and Cornyn have traded barbs back and forth for years, with the attorney general slamming Cornyn’s votes in favor of additional U.S. aid to Ukraine and bipartisan legislation on gun safety following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.
    Jared Gans, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells left the court on a stretcher last night after slamming his head on the court during a dunk attempt.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Miami’s roster doesn’t even come close to comparing to Philadelphia, even after the Eagles got savaged in free agency by the rest of the league this month.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025
  • And all this week, Trump’s White House has savaged the reputation and impugned the integrity of Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, whose accidental inclusion on the national-security adviser’s group chat became the basis of Signalgate.
    Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The end of the parole program is part of Trump’s crackdown on legal immigration paths that allow people to temporarily come to the U.S. Republicans also criticized the parole program as an overreach and abuse of executive presidential power.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Progressives are criticizing tariffs for boosting prices and triggering international chaos.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025
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

“Vituperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vituperate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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