Word of the Day: Harangue

by Daniel Scocco

Harangue is a long speech addressed to a large public assembly. Usually the speech is an offensive one (i.e., a verbal attack), but the word can also indicate pompous or tedious speeches.

But what started as a spat at a teenage sleepover swiftly escalated into a three-month harangue of threatening e-mails and defacement of her weblog. (USA Today)

Even as America’s politicians harangue the bankers, the bankers are sniping back. (The Economist)

Got Your Free eBook?


  • Subscribe to Daily Writing Tips and you will be able to download our free ebook: Basic English Grammar.
  • You will also get all our grammar, spelling, punctuation and writing tips.
  • The download link will go along with the first email (you might need to wait up to 24 hours).

Related Articles

Subscribe

3 Responses to “Word of the Day: Harangue”

  1. aj on October 19, 2009 6:09 am

    Michael Jordan’s recent HOF speech is a good example.

  2. scriveyn on October 20, 2009 6:57 am

    Thanks to Ambrose Bierce for this:

    HARANGUE, n. A speech by an opponent, who is known as an harangue-outang.

  3. Bee Gee on October 20, 2009 6:13 pm

    It is also used in the name of a great writing website: http://www.dailyharangue.com.

Got something to say?





Recent Articles