di·a·tribe (d   -trb )n. A bitter, abusive denunciation. [Latin diatriba, learned discourse, from Greek diatrib  , pastime, lecture, from diatrbein, to consume, wear away : dia-, intensive pref.; see dia- + trbein, to rub; see ter-1 in Indo-European roots.]Word History: Listening to a lengthy diatribe may seem like a waste of time, an attitude for which there is some etymological justification. The Greek word diatrib , the ultimate source of our word, is derived from the verb diatrbein, made up of the prefix dia-, "completely," and trbein, "to rub," "to wear away, spend, or waste time," "to be busy." The verb diatrbein meant "to rub hard," "to spend or waste time," and the noun diatrib meant "wearing away of time, amusement, serious occupation, study," as well as "discourse, short ethical treatise or lecture, debate, argument." It is the serious occupation of time in discourse, lecture, and debate that gave us the first use of diatribe recorded in English (1581), in the now archaic sense "discourse, critical dissertation." The critical element of this kind of diatribe must often have been uppermost, explaining the origin of the current sense of diatribe, "a bitter criticism." |
diatribe
Noun
a bitter critical attack [Greek dia- through + tribein to rub]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | diatribe - thunderous verbal attack denouncement, denunciation - a public act of denouncing |
diatribe
noun tirade, abuse, criticism, denunciation, reviling, stricture, harangue, invective, vituperation, stream of abuse, verbal onslaught, philippic
Translations
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