Vote for the best verboticism.

'When I said that you're a loser, I meant it as a compliment.'

DEFINITION: v. To exercise power through the strategic use of personal insults, while pretending to offer encouragement. n. A leader who motivates people by insulting them.

Create | Read

Verboticisms

Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...

You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.

Offenspire

Created by: Wordotwist

Pronunciation: Ouf en spire

Sentence: The offenspirational capabilities of our supervisor keeps the entire workforce at the stitching factory on tether hooks.Only yesterday she humiliaded Nancy with the most flattering comments about her eyes ; followed immediately by the advise on how she could deliver more acceptable results if she kept them on her stitch – rather on the nearby ‘slicks’ for most of the time !

Etymology: A combination of offend - as to offend through an insulting,demeaning etc remark; and inspire - through encouragement,praise etc.

| Comments and Points

Insultivate

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: in sul tiv ayt

Sentence: When Joan Collins played Alexis Carrington on "Dynasty", she regularly would insultivate the other actors. They were sure that the vixenish Joan was using reverse psychology on them to improve their performances and make their reactions to her onscreen more lifelike. They never did realize that Joan relished abusing them, thanks mainly to another Collins always in her dressing room...frequent stiffeners of Tom Collins.

Etymology: Insult (to treat, mention, or speak to rudely) & Motivate (to give an incentive for action)

| Comments and Points

Cowhoperate

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: co - WHOP - ehr - ayt

Sentence: Hillary delighted in using her status as supervisor to cowhoperate with her subordinates, employing seemingly sweet outpourings of sympathy for their problems while delivering sarcastic and crude insults.

Etymology: Blend of cooperate and whop...( A sudden sharp, powerful stroke)..verbal in this case

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

metrohumanx Ouch! Cuts me to the quick. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-05: 07:19:00

I read that as Cow + Operate which i think is a perfect word for such office bovines - pungineer, 2008-08-05: 10:56:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Sublimhate

Created by: mplsbohemian

Pronunciation: SUHB-lihm-hayt

Sentence: Alex, unaware of the powers of sublimhation, couldn't understand why he always felt worse after his boss's "pep talks".

Etymology: subordinate + subliminal + sublimate + hate

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

oooo, an irony fisted word! - purpleartichokes, 2007-06-12: 13:19:00

Excellent word. - ErWenn, 2007-06-13: 00:34:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Xxl

giveaphuk

Created by: giveaphuk

Pronunciation:

Sentence:

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Mockliment

Created by: ErWenn

Pronunciation: /ˈmɑkləˌmɛnt/

Sentence: It wasn't the fact that he mocklimented everyone that was so annoying; it was the fact that he seemed to think everyone was too stupid to notice.

Etymology: From compliment + mock

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

good one ErWenn - Jabberwocky, 2007-06-12: 12:04:00

son does that to me all the time. At least now I've got a word for it! Thanx! - administraitor, 2007-06-12: 15:08:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Ensluragement

mrskellyscl

Created by: mrskellyscl

Pronunciation: en-slur-age-ment

Sentence: Margot was always ready to give ensluragement whenever someone got above their raisin by thinking they could do her job as well as she did. That way she could eliminate the competition and still sound like she was trying to help her underlings.

Etymology: encouragement: to inspire hope, courage or confidence + slur: to talk about disparagingly or insultingly; to cast a disparaging remark

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

artr It takes slurrage to stand up to your subordinates. - artr, 2010-01-06: 09:20:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Meanager

Created by: pungineer

Pronunciation: Meanie + ger

Sentence: Tarquin pondered whilst refrying the fries, he was on a fascinating 'Work your way round the Deep South' US gap year, the Himalayas had been fully booked, unfortunately... yes absolutely he though to himself, yes the OED have really missed a trick there, because, right, Bubba, is quite mean, I mean you could call him a meanie even, and he's my manager, well it says so on his badge so, right, well, actually he should be called a Meanager, because that's absolutely so what he is! Maybe i will study classics at Oxford next year, I've certainly got the language skills he ruminated further as he scrapped the grits off the gumbo....

Etymology: Just like Tarquin said in the story Mean or Meanie + Manager = Meanager

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

metrohumanx When there was no crawdads, we ate dirt. - metrohumanx, 2008-08-06: 16:33:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Demeanie

Created by: mweinmann

Pronunciation: dee - meen - ee

Sentence: Amy was known as a demeanie around the office because she seemed to always find a way to make those around her feel bad about themselves. Her insults were always couched inside of a bit of sweet talk so she got away with it quite a bit.....

Etymology: demean (degrade or make one aware of their shortcomings), meanie (a person of mean disposition)

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

mrskellyscl fun word - I'll have to share it with the kids - mrskellyscl, 2010-01-06: 14:17:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Slurport

Created by: bigdog

Pronunciation:

Sentence: My team lead always makes me look like an idiot during meeting when he sandbags me with a public show of slurport for my work.

Etymology: slur - impugn one's character or ability + support - to encourage

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

petaj Good one. - petaj, 2007-06-12: 07:51:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-06-12: 01:52:00
The second step in Timothy Johnson's GUST process is Understanding. And apparently, based on the number of definitions we received on this topic, everybody understands what it is like to have a bad boss. Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph , suzanne, and remistram. Thank you ohwtepph, suzanne, remistram, and Timothy! ~ James

lumina - 2008-08-07: 13:49:00
Wow! So fun and an honor to have come up with the "winning" word. "I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents and of course Jesus." ha Thanks to the voters! (she says as the music starts playing and the tap dancing man with the hook from the gong show comes into view...)

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2010-01-06: 00:05:00
Today's definition was suggested by ohwtepph. Thank you ohwtepph. ~ James