Word of the Day - 09/24/25
tirade
/'taɪreɪd/(n.): a speech of violent denunciation
The politician's unexpected tirade against his opponents left the audience stunned.
Word Origin
The word 'tirade' originates from the French word 'tirade', which referred to a long, uninterrupted speech or a volley of words. This French term was derived from the Italian 'tirata', the past participle of the verb 'tirare', meaning 'to pull', 'to draw', or 'to shoot'. The conceptual link is that of a speech being "drawn out" or "pulled" at length.
The Italian verb 'tirare' (to pull, to draw, to shoot) is a common root for similar verbs in other Romance languages. For instance, the French verb 'tirer' and the Spanish/Portuguese verb 'tirar' both carry meanings related to pulling or shooting, thus sharing the ultimate etymological origin with 'tirade'.