vĭtŭpĕro, āvi, ātum (inf. vituperarier, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 21), 1, v. a. [vitiumparo, qs. to find fault, accuse of a fault; hence, transf.], to inflict censure, to blame, censure, disparage, vituperate (class.; syn.: culpo, objurgo, damno).
I In gen.: deos, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 142: an mavis vituperarier falso quam vero extolli? id. Most. 1, 3, 21: notare ac vituperare, Cic. de Or. 2, 85, 349: multimodis cum istoc animo es vituperandus, Ter. Phorm. 465: Pompeius noster in amicitiā P. Lentuli vituperatur, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 6, 5: artem aut scientiam aut studium quodpiam vituperare propter eorum vitia, qui in eo studio sunt, Auct. Her. 2, 27, 44: si quis universam (philosophiam) velit vituperare, Cic. Tusc. 2, 1, 4: mensae, quae a Platone graviter vituperantur, id. Fin. 2, 28, 92: tuum consilium, id. Mur. 29, 60: (Rhodiorum res publica) minime quidem vituperanda, id. Rep. 3, 35, 48.— Prov.: qui caelum vituperant, who find fault with heaven itself , i. e. are satisfied with nothing , Phaedr. 4, 7, 26.—*
II In relig. lang., to render defective , to spoil an omen: cur omen mihi vituperat? Plaut. Cas. 2, 6, 59 dub.