Word: diatribe (noun)

Associations

A diatribe is a long, angry, and forceful speech or piece of writing that criticizes something or someone strongly.

• Example 1: The politician gave a diatribe against corruption during the debate. Here, it shows strong criticism.
• Example 2: She wrote a diatribe in her blog about the poor service at the restaurant. This means she expressed her anger in writing.
• Example 3: His diatribe about the new policy made everyone uncomfortable. This means his speech was very harsh and critical.

Synonym: "rant" is a common synonym for diatribe. The difference is that a rant can be less formal and sometimes less structured, while a diatribe often sounds more serious and is usually longer and more detailed.

Substitution

Instead of "diatribe," you can use:

• rant (less formal, more emotional)
• tirade (similar, often a sudden, angry speech)
• criticism (more general, not always angry) Using "rant" or "tirade" might make the speech sound more emotional or sudden, while "criticism" is more neutral.

Deconstruction

"Diatribe" comes from Greek "diatribe," meaning "a spending of time" or "discourse," but over time it came to mean a long, bitter speech. It has no prefixes or suffixes in English; it is borrowed as a whole word.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you heard or gave a diatribe? What was it about?
• How is a diatribe different from a calm discussion?
• When might it be useful or harmful to use a diatribe?