vituperate

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The Word of the Day for August 20 is:

vituperate   \vy-TOO-puh-rayt\   verb
    *1 : to abuse or censure severely or abusively : berate
     2 : to use harsh condemnatory language

Example sentence:
     The author was vituperated by many critics in the media for lifting 
material from other sources without properly attributing them.

Did you know?
     "Vituperate" first appeared in English in the mid-16th century. It derives 
from the past participle of the Latin verb "vituperare," which was formed as a 
combination of two Latin words: the noun "vitium," meaning "fault," and the 
verb "parare," meaning "to make or prepare." ("Parare" helped give us a number 
of other English words, such as "prepare," "separate," "apparatus," and even 
"emperor.") "Vituperate" possesses several close synonyms, including "berate" 
and "revile." "Berate" usually refers to scolding that is drawn out and 
abusive. "Revile" means to attack or criticize in a way prompted by anger or 
hatred. "Vituperate" adds to the meaning of "revile" by stressing an attack 
that is particularly violent in nature.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.