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

Her gripes with the network and the other TV personalities segued into a tirade against the left, which she said “understands everything in a way different than myself.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Gutfeld cursed on air, demeaned the loss of life from another assassination earlier this year and cited information that was incorrect to back his tirade.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Critics accuse the Lebanese government of being submissive to Washington — with Barrack’s tirade adding to their arguments.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But the president still was not finished with his bigoted tirade.

Read more on Salon

Both sides were quickly accused of breaking it, prompting an angry, expletive-laden tirade to reporters on the White House lawn.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• denunciation 
• diatribe 
• harangue 
• invective 
• ranting www.thesaurus.com
• screed 
• sermon