- Today's Word
Vituperate
vy-TOO-puh-rayt (or vy-TYOO-puh-rayt)
Definition
- (verb) To criticize or scold someone in a harsh, abusive manner.
Example
The coach began to vituperate the players after their lackluster performance in the championship game.
Fun Fact
“Vituperate” comes from the Latin vituperare, meaning “to blame” or “find fault with.” Though its use has declined in casual conversation, it remains a powerful word for describing sharp, biting criticism. It’s a testament to the richness of language for expressing disapproval in vivid terms.
(adjective) Deserving praise or reward on the basis of genuine effort, skill, or achievement.
The meritorious work of the research team went unrecognized for years before a junior colleague finally submitted it for the award it had always deserved.
Meritorious derives from the Latin meritorius, meaning “that by which money is earned,” rooted in merere — “to earn” or “to deserve.” The same root gives us merit, meritocracy, and emeritus — all words built around the idea of something earned rather than given. It entered English in the 15th century, initially used in theological contexts to describe acts worthy of divine reward before expanding into its broader secular sense of anything genuinely deserving of recognition.