vituperation

Very familiar word/ vague understanding of the meaning

Definition of vituperation
“…abusive censure. Sustained, harshly abusive language; invective.” (answers.com)

Where I ran across it:
Feb 3, 2008 NYT “Think Again” opinion column, “All You Need is Hate” by Stanley Fish.

“...But the people and groups Horowitz surveys have brought criticism of Clinton to what sportswriters call “the next level,” in this case to the level of personal vituperation unconnected to, and often unconcerned with, the facts...”

My two cents:
Look, there are some words you can just figure out by reading them in context. Vituperation is one. Given all the invectives leveled at Hillary Clinton of late, the meaning of vituperation in the context of Stanley Fish’s article is unmistakable; and what he says about it is unfortunate – and undeniable. But decoding a word in context is one thing, while defining a word that stands alone is an entirely different ball o’ wax. You just really don’t know a word if you can’t do that. And that’s what this list is all about. Admittedly, I have a problem defining vituperation out of context and on its own. I mean to change that. Come to think of it, I also have a problem with people who engage in vituperation. And that will never change.