obloquy

1 state of disgrace resulting from public abuse [syn: opprobrium]

2 a malicious attack [syn: defamation, calumny, traducement, hatchet job]

English

Etymology

From Late Latin obloquium, from obloqui.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɒbləˌkwi/ or /ˈɔːbləˌkwi/ (plural /ˈɒbləˌkwiːz/ or /ˈɔːbləˌkwiːz/)

Noun

obloquy (plural obloquies)

1. Abusive language
   • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 34.

     this philosophy, which, in almost every instance, must be harmless and innocent, should be the subject of so much groundless reproach and obloquy.

2. Disgrace suffered from abusive language
3. He who denies or disputes

Synonyms

(abusive language)

• insult
• defamation

(disgrace)

• opprobrium

Translations

abuse, adverse criticism, animadversion, aspersion, bad notices, bad press, billingsgate, calumny, captiousness, carping, cavil, caviling, censoriousness, contumely, criticism, degradation, demotion, depluming, discredit, disesteem, dishonor, displuming, disrepute, exception, faultfinding, flak, hairsplitting, hit, home thrust, hostile criticism, hypercriticalness, hypercriticism, ignobility, ignominiousness, ignominy, imputation, infamousness, infamy, ingloriousness, invective, knock, loss of honor, nagging, niggle, niggling, nit, nit-picking, odium, opprobrium, overcriticalness, pestering, pettifogging, priggishness, quibble, quibbling, rap, reflection, reproachfulness, revilement, scurrility, shame, slam, slur, stricture, swipe, taking exception, trichoschistism, vilification, vituperation