tirade

[ tahy-reyd, tahy-reyd ]

noun

1. a prolonged outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation:

   a tirade against smoking.

2. a long, vehement speech:

   a tirade in the Senate.

   Synonyms: diatribe, harangue

3. a passage dealing with a single theme or idea, as in poetry:

   the stately tirades of Corneille.

tirade

/ taɪˈreɪd /

noun

1. a long angry speech or denunciation
2. rare.
   prosody a speech or passage dealing with a single theme

Word History and Origins

Origin of tirade¹

1795–1805; < French: literally, a stretch, (continuous) pulling < Italian tirata, noun use of feminine of tirato, past participle of tirare to draw, pull, fire (a shot), of obscure origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of tirade¹

C19: from French, literally: a pulling, from Italian tirata, from tirare to pull, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

During the 2016 Brexit referendum, he quit the Conservative Party in protest at what he called a "tirade of fear" coming from then prime minister David Cameron.

From BBC

They said Hinchcliffe's speech was a “vile racist tirade against Latinos.”

From Salon

He shared his tirade a day after a Yankees fan caught heat for interfering with Dodgers star Mookie Betts in Game 4.

From Los Angeles Times

She found Billy Schmitt II, absorbed an expletive-filled tirade, and made friends with his dog, who turned out to be adorable.

From Los Angeles Times

A clip of Gay’s tirade went viral, particularly the line, “Receipts, proof, timeline, screenshots.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• denunciation
• diatribe
• harangue
• invective
• ranting
• screed
• sermon