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Origin and history of opprobrious

opprobrious(adj.)

"full of reproach, intended to bring disgrace" (of language, words, etc.), late 14c., from Old French oprobrieus (Modern French opprobrieux) and directly from Late Latin opprobriosus, from Latin opprobare "to reproach, taunt," from assimilated form of ob "in front of, before" (see ob-) + probrum "reproach, infamy," from Proto-Italic *profro-, from PIE *probhro- "what is brought up" (against someone, as a reproach), from root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children." Compare Sanskrit prabhar-, Avestan frabar- "to bring, offer." The etymological sense is "disgrace attached to conduct considered shameful." Related: Opprobriously; opprobriousness.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to opprobrious

exprobration(n.)

1520s, "act of upbraiding;" 1540s, "a reproachful utterance," from Latin exprobrationem (nominative exprobratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of exprobrare "to make a matter of reproach," from ex "out" (see ex-) + probrum "shameful deed" (see opprobrious).

opprobrium(n.)

"imputation of shameful conduct, insulting reproach," 1680s, from Latin opprobrium "disgrace, infamy, scandal, dishonor," from opprobare "to reproach, taunt" (see opprobrious). Earlier in English in nativized form opprobry (early 15c.).

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ignominious
early 15c., from Latin ignominiosus "disgraceful, shameful," from ignominia "disgrace, infamy, loss of a (good) name," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + nomen (genitive nominis) "name" (from PIE root *no-men- "name"). The Latin spelling perhaps influ
scurrilous
"given to the use of low and indecent language," "using such language as only the licence of a buffoon can warrant" [Johnson], 1570s, from scurrile "coarsely joking" (implied in scurrility), from Latin scurrilis "buffoon-like," from scurra "fashionable city idler, man-about-town,
snipe
An opprobrious term (see guttersnipe) since c. 1600....
name-calling
"the use of opprobrious epithets," 1846, from call (someone or something) names "attempt to put someone or something in a...
nance
  Nancy, Miss, an opprobrious epithet for an exceedingly effeminate, over-nice young man....
shoddy
The Days of Shoddy, as the reader will readily anticipate, are the opening months of the present war, at which time the opprobrious...
mealy-mouthed
"afraid to say what one really thinks," 1570s; first element perhaps from Old English milisc "sweet," from Proto-Germanic *meduz "honey" (see mead (n.1)), which suits the sense, but if the Old English word did not survive long enough to be the source of this, perhaps the first el
social
early 15c., "devoted to or relating to home life;" 1560s as "living with others," from French social (14c.) and directly from Latin socialis "of companionship, of allies; united, living with others; of marriage, conjugal," from socius "companion, ally," probably originally "follo
museum
1610s, "the university building in Alexandria," from Latin museum "library, study," from Greek mouseion "place of study, library or museum, school of art or poetry," originally "a temple or shrine of the Muses," from Mousa "Muse" (see muse (n.)). The earliest use in reference to
busy
Old English bisig "careful, anxious," later "continually employed or occupied, in constant or energetic action" cognate with Old Dutch bezich, Low German besig, but having no known connection with any other Germanic or Indo-European language. Still pronounced as in Middle English

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