vituperate
/vɪˈtjuːpəɹeɪt/
"vituperate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“vituperate” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To criticize (someone or something) in an abusive or harsh manner.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | vituperate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /vɪˈtjuːpəɹeɪt/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “vituperate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for vituperate is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /vɪˈtjuːpəɹeɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
vituperate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dwóh₁ Learned borrowing from Latin vituperātus (“censured; disparaged”), perfect passive participle of vituperō (“to blame, scold, tell off; to censure; to disparage, find fault with”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from vitium (“blemish, defe… The correct English form is vituperate, spelled V-I-T-U-P-E-R-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To criticize (someone or something) in an abusive or harsh manner.
- 2To attack (someone or something) with abusive language; to revile, to vilify.
- 3To use abusive or harsh words.
Etymology
PIE word *dwóh₁ Learned borrowing from Latin vituperātus (“censured; disparaged”), perfect passive participle of vituperō (“to blame, scold, tell off; to censure; to disparage, find fault with”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from vitium (“blemish, defect, flaw, imperfection; crime, misdeed, wrongdoing; fault, error, sin; vice; disease (of plants)”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(d)wi-tyo- (“apart; wrong”), from *dwóh₁ (“two”)) + parō (“to acquire, get, obtain, procure; to arrange, order; to contrive, design; to furnish, provide; to produce; to decide, resolve”) (from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to get, procure; to produce; to bring forward; to bring forth, carry forth; to go through”)).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "vituperate"?
What does "vituperate" mean?
How do you pronounce "vituperate"?
What is the origin of the word "vituperate"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “vituperate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is V-I-T-U-P-E-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /vɪˈtjuːpəɹeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.