harangue
Americannoun
-
a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe.
-
a long, passionate, and vehement speech, especially one delivered before a public gathering.
-
any long, pompous speech or writing of a tediously hortatory or didactic nature; sermonizing lecture or discourse.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
See speech
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
haranguesimple
-
haranguessimple
-
have haranguedperfect
-
has haranguedperfect
-
am haranguingprogressive
-
are haranguingprogressive
-
is haranguingprogressive
-
have been haranguingperfect progressive
-
has been haranguingperfect progressive
Past
-
haranguedsimple
-
had haranguedperfect
-
was haranguingprogressive
-
were haranguingprogressive
-
had been haranguingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of harangue
First recorded in 1530–40; (noun) from Middle French harangue. from Italian ar(r)inga “speech, oration,” noun derivative of ar(r)ingare “to speak in public,” verbal derivative of aringo “public square,” from unattested Gothic hriggs “ring” (verb) from Middle French haranguer, from Italian ar(r)ingare; see ring 1
Explanation
A harangue is more than a speech, louder than a discussion, and nastier than a lecture. It is a verbal attack that doesn't let up, delivered as a verb or received as a noun. Either way, it's pretty unpleasant. The word harangue developed its modern spelling around 1530, when the word was recorded as harangue in French. The word, meaning a strong, nasty rant, appears to have evolved from the Old Italian word aringa, probably from the word for a public square or place for public speaking. This in turn appears to have evolved from a Germanic word related to ring, as in "circular gathering," which is clearly similar to the Italian meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing harangue
Night
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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The Odyssey
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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.
See Examples For:
The police arrive, and the locals harangue them for doing too little.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2024
A second video surfaced last week in which she appears to harangue a taco vendor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2023
“We will not allow Red Rose Rescue to harass and harangue New Yorkers with their outrageous militant tactics.”
From Washington Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
In an April 21 court filing, McDonald's lawyers said mediation to settle Allen's $10 billion lawsuit has been unsuccessful, and accused Allen of trying to "harass and harangue McDonald's into an unmerited resolution."
From Reuters ● May 8, 2023
He took a long swig on the R.C., then continued his harangue.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
He harangues referees and reporters and doesn’t hold back when communicating with his players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Dickinson plays a supporting part in “Urchin” as a feral bum who steals wallets and harangues shopkeepers, but what you really notice is his generous spirit.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2025
Prigozhin somewhat toned down his harangues against the military leadership after that, but remained defiant.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 27, 2023
It contains one sequence from a local TV programme where a young Johnson, sporting long hair, harangues a group of politicians for ruining the environment of his native Canvey Island.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2022
That night they sang to keep their spirits up, and when they grew tired of harangues, discussions, and songs, they settled into little groups to get through the night as best they could.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
"I am not opening the store unless you leave," a manager shouted, as customers harangued her, with another member of staff telling AFP only two air conditioners had been delivered.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
When harangued by CNBC’s Joe Kernan to “reject” the winners, Jeffries replied, “Donald Trump is the president right now. Are you kidding me?”
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Earlier this month, a masked man entered the office and harangued a youngster who had an appointment, the officer added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 18, 2026
In July 2021, after Deputy Zachary Cotton reversed several overdoses using the opioid blocker Narcan, some deputies harangued him for saving the people who had overdosed.
From New York Times ● May 29, 2024
The boys were harangued by a man in a full beard.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
For all the justified haranguing of Pentagon weapons buying, the U.S. can still move fast when it wants to.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
Once “surfboard guy” finished haranguing Vance, I asked him about the more than $20,000 in unpaid debt he owed to his campaign manager.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2024
But Ackman “can’t believe this is happening” and is posting nonstop about his attempts to intimidate the publication by haranguing its parent company.
From Slate ● Jan. 10, 2024
He was hand-picked to star in the Broadway musical revue “Eubie!” and urged producers to give his brother an audition, while also haranguing his brother to get to New York.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2024
Despite his loyalty to Lawrence, Alvarez proved to be more pliable to the AEC chairman’s haranguing.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
