declaim
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to speak aloud in an oratorical manner; make a formal speech.
Brutus declaimed from the steps of the Roman senate building.
-
to inveigh (usually followed byagainst ).
He declaimed against the high rents in slums.
-
to speak or write for oratorical effect, as without sincerity or sound argument.
verb (used with object)
verb
-
to make (a speech, statement, etc) loudly and in a rhetorical manner
-
to speak lines from (a play, poem, etc) with studied eloquence; recite
-
to protest (against) loudly and publicly
Other Word Forms
- declaimer noun
- undeclaimed adjective
- undeclaiming adjective
Etymology
Origin of declaim
1350–1400; Middle English declamen < Latin dēclāmāre, equivalent to dē- de- + clāmāre to cry, shout; claim
Explanation
Use the verb declaim when someone is speaking very passionately against something, like when you declaim against having to be home by 8 p.m. Declaim can also describe reciting words aloud for practice. If you're learning a new language, you might declaim a sentence until it sounds clear and natural when you say it. Declaim was originally spelled declame, similar to the Latin word declamare, meaning "to practice public speaking," but later became declaim as its other meaning came into greater use.
Vocabulary lists containing declaim
The Graveyard Book
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Crime and Punishment
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Pygmalion
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Brook loved to declaim that he had no answers, because there are no answers.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2022
Chaplin and her other co-star, Kika Markham, frequently declaim portions of the play’s text in its original English language.
From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2021
“The folding type of this cooling device became accepted in China during the Ming dynasty,” Mr. Trebek might declaim, as competitors raced to buzz in with the reply, “What is a fan?”
From Washington Post • Nov. 8, 2020
You may use this page to declaim loudly, recite verse, or pursue areas of freewheeling, off topic discourse.
From Slate • Jun. 29, 2020
He was also an accomplished actor, who loved to declaim Shakespeare aloud.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
