diatribe

a bitter, forceful verbal attack

Root

  • tribein: rub, wear away, or grind through pressure

Diatribe feels like speech that rubs and wears at its target.

The review became a diatribe against the author instead of a discussion of the book.

The old tribein image is rubbing or wearing away. A diatribe is not one clean objection; it is a sustained verbal attack that grinds at someone or something.

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