# opprobrium

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈpɹəʊ.bɹɪ.əm/ · frequency rank #83,576

## Definitions
1. A cause, object, or situation of disgrace or shame.
2. Disgrace or bad reputation arising from exceedingly shameful behaviour; ignominy.
3. Scornful contempt or reproach; (countable) an instance of this.
4. Behaviour which is disgraceful or shameful.

## 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 ‘towards’) + 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

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/opprobrium