Vituperate, v. t.
Etymology: [L. vituperatus, p. p. of vituperare to blame, vituperate; vitium a fault + parare to prepare. See Vice a fault, and Pare, v. t.]
To find fault with; to scold; to overwhelm with wordy abuse; to censure severely or abusively; to rate.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for vituperate; he lists it under abuse.
Where he writes about it:
Defame, malign, rail at, revile, slander, vilify, and vituperate are used always in a bad sense. — from abuse