Revilements

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of expressing contempt or strong disapproval through abusive language or insults
2. The use of harsh words to criticize or condemn someone or something, often involving slander and derogatory remarks
3. A form of verbal attack characterized by vitriolic expressions and derogatory accusations aimed at denigrating an individual or group

Etymology: Revilements is simply the plural of "revilement," and the plainest route to it is a suffix added to an English verb. "Revile" entered English from Old French "reviler," meaning to treat with contempt, and the form itself draws on a Latin ending. The suffix "-ment" descends from Latin "-mentum," which turned verbs into nouns naming the result or means of an action, as in "monumentum" from "monere." Old French carried that ending into its own vocabulary, and English later borrowed it, so "revilement" is a verb with a French-inherited noun ending attached to it. Because the suffix does the work, the word follows a familiar pattern: "-ment" nouns usually name the act, result, or product of the verb, so "revilement" names the act of reviling itself. The plural "revilements" therefore counts separate instances of that abuse, each one a distinct outburst of insults.

Synonyms: insults, abuses

Antonyms: praise, compliments