counterblast

noun

coun·​ter·​blast ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈblast How to pronounce counterblast (audio)
variants or less commonly counter-blast
plural counterblasts also counter-blasts
: a forceful response or retaliation
especially : an emphatic response to or rebuttal of another's argument, criticism, etc.
… the uselessly combative essay he [Wordsworth] included in the 1815 edition of his poems, designed as a counterblast to Jeffrey and all his other critics … Adam Kirsch
There is reason to believe that the work on which Kant was engaged in the last years of his life was intended as a counter-blast to such critics. W. H. Walsh

Examples of counterblast in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This sort of trolling offers no ideological counterblast to the progressive narrative that puts slavery and racial oppression at the center of the American experience. Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 22 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterblast.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterblast was in 1567

Dictionary Entries Near counterblast

Cite this Entry

“Counterblast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterblast. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

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