diatribe

[dahy-uh-trahyb]

noun

1. a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism.

   repeated diatribes against the senator.

   Synonyms: harangue, tirade

diatribe

/ ˈdaɪəˌtraɪb /

noun

1. a bitter or violent criticism or attack; denunciation

Word History and Origins

Origin of diatribe¹

1575–85; < Latin diatriba < Greek diatribḗ pastime, study, discourse, derivative of diatríbein to rub away ( dia- dia- + tríbein to rub)

Word History and Origins

Origin of diatribe¹

C16: from Latin diatriba learned debate, from Greek diatribē discourse, pastime, from diatribein to while away, from _dia- + tribein to rub

Example Sentences

Many attendees of local public meetings tend to drift into offensive diatribes that have little to do with the matter at hand.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She was famously the frenemy that fuelled Taylor Swift's diatribe Bad Blood.

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Jack eventually befriends the upstart political populist Willie Stark, who, by dint of his will and eloquent diatribes against the wealthy establishment, is elected governor.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Social media is filled with expletive-laden diatribes from the coffee aisle.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Over the past few years, Obeida - believed to be about 40 years old - delivered a number of long diatribes against Israel on behalf of Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• denunciation 
• invective 
• jeremiad 
• screed 
• tirade