inveigh

verb in·veigh \ in-ˈvā \

Updated on: 29 Dec 2017

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Definition of inveigh

intransitive verb

: to protest or complain bitterly or vehemently : rail

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inveigher

noun

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Examples of inveigh in a Sentence

always inveighing against the high property taxes that they were forced to pay

Recent Examples of inveigh from the Web

The president inveighs against CNN, ABC, The Washington Post, etc.

— james warren, The Hive, "The Stunning Hypocrisy of Sarah Sanders’s Media Smear," 12 Dec. 2017
The American Civil Liberties Union agrees, inveighing against the Echo and other connected speakers.

— brad stone, Fortune, "Is Alexa Really Eavesdropping On You? Here's Why You Shouldn't Worry," 11 Dec. 2017
The American Civil Liberties Union agrees, inveighing against the Echo and other connected speakers.

— brad stone, Houston Chronicle, "Is Alexa really eavesdropping on you?," 11 Dec. 2017
Few French politicians can inveigh against injustice with the pleasing turns of the tongue that seem to come so naturally to him.

— yascha mounk, Slate Magazine, "A Primer on the French Election," 18 Apr. 2017
Since taking power, Mr. Xi, Premier Li Keqiang and other Chinese leaders have repeatedly inveighed against do-nothing government and company officials.

— chun han wong, WSJ, "Xi’s Next Step: Demand More Fervor From China’s Communist Party," 26 Oct. 2017
Clerics have inveighed against the idea for years, often in ludicrous terms.

— The Economist, "Driving changeSaudi Arabia will finally allow women to drive," 27 Sep. 2017
In New York, the polite president of Day 1 was replaced by a fire-breathing version on the second day, inveighing against Iran, Venezuela and North Korea.

— mark landler, New York Times, "President Trump Inside and Outside the Lines at the U.N.," 21 Sep. 2017
Joining the chorus, in news clips, is Donald Trump, seen early as a candidate and later as president, inveighing against climate-change proponents.

— soren andersen, The Seattle Times, "‘An Inconvenient Sequel’ review: Al Gore remains energetic in climate-change fight," 31 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inveigh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

You might complain or grumble about some wrong you see, or, for a stronger effect, you can "inveigh" against it. "Inveigh" comes from the Latin verb invehere, which joins the prefix in- with the verb vehere, meaning "to carry." "Invehere" literally means "to carry in," and when "inveigh" first appeared in English, it was also used to mean "to carry in" or "to introduce." Extended meanings of "invehere," however, are "to force one's way into," "attack," and "to assail with words," and that's where the current sense of "inveigh" comes from. A closely related word is "invective," which means "insulting or abusive language." This word, too, ultimately comes from "invehere."