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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
harangue
verb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Teachers can't teach when they have to harangue the kids about good behavior.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ He'd thrown the receiver off the hook, but she was haranguing the empty line, demanding he reply.
▪ He walked round and round his small chamber, haranguing the walls.
▪ However, after haranguing us and making me mop up his uniform, the outraged policeman indicated a couple of wash-basins.
▪ Once we were harangued to eat protein, and heaven help the poor water buffalo who ambled past me at mealtime.
▪ The boys were harangued by a man in a full beard.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Harangue

Harangue \Ha*rangue"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Harangued (h[.a]*r[a^]ngd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Haranguing.] [Cf. F. haranguer, It. aringare.] To make an harangue; to declaim.

Harangue

Harangue \Ha*rangue"\, v. t. To address by an harangue.

Harangue

Harangue \Ha*rangue"\ (h[.a]*r[a^]ng"), n. [F. harangue: cf. Sp. arenga, It. aringa; lit., a speech before a multitude or on the hustings, It. aringo arena, hustings, pulpit; all fr. OHG. hring ring, anything round, ring of people, G. ring. See Ring.] A speech addressed to a large public assembly; a popular oration; a loud address to a multitude; in a bad sense, a noisy or pompous speech; declamation; ranting.

Gray-headed men and grave, with warriors mixed, Assemble, and harangues are heard.
--Milton.

Syn: Harangue, Speech, Oration.

Usage: Speech is generic; an oration is an elaborate and rhetorical speech; an harangue is a vehement appeal to the passions, or a noisy, disputatious address. A general makes an harangue to his troops on the eve of a battle; a demagogue harangues the populace on the subject of their wrongs.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
harangue

mid-15c., arang, Scottish (in English from c.1600), from Middle French harangue (14c.), from Italian aringo "public square, platform," from a Germanic source ultimately from or including Proto-Germanic *ring "circular gathering" (see ring (n.1)). Perhaps it is ultimately from Gothic *hriggs (pronounced "hrings"), with the first -a- inserted to ease Romanic pronunciation of Germanic hr- (see hamper (n.)). But Barnhart suggests a Germanic compound, hari-hring "circular gathering," literally "army-ring."

harangue

1650s, from French haranguer, from Middle French harangue (see harangue (n.)). Related: Harangued; haranguing.

Wiktionary
harangue

n. 1 An impassioned, disputatious public speech. 2 A tirade or rant, whether spoken or written. vb. (context transitive English) To give a forceful and lengthy lecture or criticism to someone.

WordNet
harangue

n. a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion [syn: rant, ranting]

harangue

v. deliver a harangue to; address forcefully

Usage examples of "harangue".

I was about to launch into one of my old-time harangues about the sheer vanity of decorative dress, when my eye rested on the moving figures in asbestos, and I stopped.

The scene thus referred to was that of a circle of grave warriors seated about a small fire, and listening to the harangue of one who stood in an open space reserved for him at one side.

The street they were following crossed a small square in which a wildly gesticulating ayatollah clad in a yellow tunic and green smock was haranguing a crowd pressed from wall to wall.

Marnoo, that all-attractive personage, having satisfied his hunger and inhaled a few whiffs from a pipe which was handed to him, launched out into an harangue which completely enchained the attention of his auditors.

She had the impression that he was haranguing the congregation about their misdeeds, but a cautious glance around showed nothing but rows of guiltless faces--either they hid their feelings well, or he was unnecessarily stern.

The cousin said nothing, and the father kissed his daughter, bade me a good night, and went away well pleased with the harangue he had delivered.

Tora only half listened as Anna harangued her about the idiocy of her actions.

Even my old mother, the Dowager Khatun Sorghaktani, who long ago converted to that faith, is still so besotted with it that she harangues me and every other pagan she meets.

At one end was a table, round which the mayors had been sitting, and from this vantage ground Felix Pyat and other virtuous citizens harangued, and, as I understood, proclaimed the Commune and themselves, for it was impossible to distinguish a word.

Annie could see in his darkening face the desire to keep after it, to badger and harangue, but Frank Saulter was turning toward Bledsoe.

They turned to see Smeth, struggling with baggage that kept floating away from him in the zero gravity and haranguing a long-suffering Nar steward.

Paspaheghs, and when they had returned as stately thanks, the werowance began a harangue for which I furnished the matter.

Everyone else in the castle she harangued with the same questions: how many banns had been posted, when, and where.

Catatonic Expressionist, harangued him with the Great Betrayal, told of the Dance of Death.

Inflamed by publications and harangues on every side, the Americans had been active in preparing for the approaching contest.