tirade

noun

ti·​rade ˈtī-ˌrād How to pronounce tirade (audio)
also ti-ˈrād
Synonyms of tirade
: a protracted speech usually marked by intemperate, vituperative, or harshly censorious language

Synonyms of tirade

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tirade in a Sentence

He went into a tirade about the failures of the government. The coach directed a tirade at the team after the loss.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Enes Kanter Freedom exposes Natasha Cloud's profane tirade after WNBA ejection. — FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unleashed his own tirade. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 Punk’s tirade targeted Hangman Adam Page, Colt Cabana and the Young Bucks, the latter three of whom are real-life friends of Owens. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Ananberg-Poma posted on Instagram the night of the attack, remaining defiant despite Montes’ tirade. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tirade

Word History

Etymology

French, shot, tirade, from Middle French, from Old Italian tirata, from tirare to draw, shoot

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tirade was in 1802

Rhymes for tirade

See All Rhymes for tirade

Browse Nearby Words

tip worm
tirade
tirak
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tirade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tirade. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tirade

noun
ti·​rade tī-ˈrād How to pronounce tirade (audio)
ˈtī-ˌrād
: a long violent angry speech : harangue
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All