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Word of the Day Archive
Sunday May 18, 2008

tirade \TY-raid; tih-RAID\, noun:
A long angry speech; a violent denunciation; a prolonged outburst full of censure or abuse.

The force of this tirade made Matthew glance nervously at Coots, who shrugged and asked his partner, "You just about all through?"
-- Trevanian, Incident at Twenty-Mile

Bobby wanted to enquire further, but knew better; more questions were apt to set off a tirade.
-- Stephen King, Hearts In Atlantis

He was likeable, had panache, and his contemptuous tirades were rarely taken at face value.
-- Michael Schaller, Altered States

Tirade comes from French, from Italian tirada, properly, "a pulling"; hence, "a lengthening out, a long speech, a tirade," from tirare, "to pull, to draw."

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for tirade

 

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