opprobrium

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The Word of the Day for December 28 is: 

opprobrium   \uh-PROH-bree-um\   noun
          1 : something that brings disgrace 
     2 a : public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered 
grossly wrong or vicious *b : contempt, reproach 

Example sentence:
          The athlete's admission of using steroids earned her much opprobrium 
from former fans.

Did you know?
          "Opprobrium" was borrowed into English from Latin in the 17th 
century. It came from the Latin verb "opprobrare," which means "to reproach." 
That verb in turn came from the noun "probrum," meaning "disgraceful act" or 
"reproach." These gave us "opprobrium" as well as its adjective form 
"opprobrious," which means "scurrilous" or "infamous." One might commit an 
"opprobrious crime" or be berated with "opprobrious language." "Probrum" gave 
English another word too, but you might have a little trouble guessing it. It's 
"exprobrate," an archaic synonym of "censure" or "upbraid."





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