diatribe

plural diatribes

1. An abusive, bitter verbal or written attack, criticism or denunciation.

   to throw a diatribe

   5 more examples

   The senator was prone to diatribes which could go on for more than an hour.

   “… No rogue e’er felt the halter draw, with a good opinion of the law, and perhaps my own detestation of the law arises from my having frequently broken it. If this long diatribe bores you, just say so, and I’ll cut it short.”

   1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad

   You know, it’s all this racial diatribe, and very strong language, screaming at the top of his lungs into the telephone.

   1991, Bill Crow, Jazz Anecdotes, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 316

   Aunt Petunia wasn’t eating anything at all. Her arms were folded, her lips were pursed and she seemed to be chewing her tongue, as though biting back the furious diatribe she longed to throw at Harry.

   2000 July 8, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], “Back to the Burrow”, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter; 4), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 40

   Lest this [be] read as a diatribe against DfT, I have some sympathy with it. That's because whenever there's a problem with the railway, the industry's solution is to ask DfT for billions of pounds.

   2021 May 5, Philip Haigh, “I think we need better than this from the rail industry”, in RAIL, number 930, page 51

2. A prolonged discourse; a long-winded speech.