billingsgate

noun

ˈbi-liŋz-ˌgāt How to pronounce billingsgate (audio)
Definition of billingsgatenext
as in abuse
harsh insulting language the intemperate billingsgate to which the staff in customer service were sometimes subjected

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word billingsgate distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of billingsgate are abuse, invective, obloquy, and vituperation. While all these words mean "vehemently expressed condemnation or disapproval," billingsgate implies practiced fluency and variety of profane or obscene abuse.

directed a stream of billingsgate at the cabdriver

When is abuse a more appropriate choice than billingsgate?

The synonyms abuse and billingsgate are sometimes interchangeable, but abuse, the most general term, usually implies the anger of the speaker and stresses the harshness of the language.

scathing verbal abuse

In what contexts can invective take the place of billingsgate?

In some situations, the words invective and billingsgate are roughly equivalent. However, invective implies a comparable vehemence but suggests greater verbal and rhetorical skill and may apply to a public denunciation.

blistering political invective

When could obloquy be used to replace billingsgate?

The words obloquy and billingsgate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, obloquy suggests defamation and consequent shame and disgrace.

subjected to obloquy and derision

Where would vituperation be a reasonable alternative to billingsgate?

While in some cases nearly identical to billingsgate, vituperation implies fluent and sustained abuse.

a torrent of vituperation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for billingsgate
  1. abuse
  2. insult
  3. invective
  4. vituperation
  5. criticism
  6. fulmination
Noun
  • Hisbah members also face widespread allegations of rights abuses in their enforcement operations, including subjecting offenders to dehumanizing punishments such as public beatings or shaming.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • An autopsy identified multiple injuries, and the DuPage County Coroner’s Office ultimately determined that his death was caused by injuries resulting from child abuse and classified the death as a homicide, the news release said.
    — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of abuse
Noun
  • To call them journalists would be an insult to the profession.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The exchange began when Pham criticized Myers over a play, leading to a heated back-and-forth online, with Pham eventually resorting to personal insults.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Each was cast as the antagonist in the game that saw England’s exit a World Cup or European Championship, prompting invective from rival supporters and a siege mentality in Manchester.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • These invectives evidently haven’t spooked Son, who once predicted that AI superintelligence would exist by 2035.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 July 2026
Definition of invective
Noun
  • As these things go, the tweet exposes Hotez to public vituperation on social media and possibly physical harm.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
  • On March 12, Nickels tweeted a notice of a scientific conference in Washington at which Peter Daszak, the head of a research funding organization who has long been the target of vituperation by lab-leak advocates, would appear on a panel.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Definition of vituperation
Noun
  • But the lobbyist has doubled down on her criticism of McCuskey in a recent letter to Illinois’ four top legislative leaders and obtained by the Tribune.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The sharpest criticism of the deal came from Venezuelan opposition figures, who argue that a caretaker administration installed after a foreign military operation has no standing to sign away a century of oil rights.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticism
Noun
  • This is the latest rant in a string of fulminations against the ABC late-night host over the past few days since Kimmel mocked the relationship between the first lady and POTUS late last week.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of fulmination
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Billingsgate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billingsgate. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on billingsgate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about billingsgate

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