as in jeremiad
a long angry speech or scolding
the head coach was briefly suspended after launching into a foul-mouthed philippic during a press conference
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Recent Examples of philippic
The Atlantic’s second issue included a thunderous philippic of some 7,600 words on the relentless encroachments of slavery and the fate of the Republic.
—
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
How not to hear in his philippic the traces of an OCD inscribed in our cultural DNA, a sanctimony that launched the archetypal act of avoidance that forms our origin myth?
—Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025
The poet’s occasional philippics against capitalist excess are hard to distinguish from postwar politics, when former allies became lethal enemies, while in America the Red Scare of McCarthyism loomed.
—William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
While its always welcome to see additional news outlets in the battle for truth, justice and the American way, this philippic certainly doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously as a dispenser of information.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2022
Early Friday morning, around 1 am Eastern, President Donald Trump had published a 102-word philippic to his Facebook and Twitter pages.
—Benjamin Wofford, Wired, 10 Mar. 2022
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
How not to hear in his philippic the traces of an OCD inscribed in our cultural DNA, a sanctimony that launched the archetypal act of avoidance that forms our origin myth?
—Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025
The poet’s occasional philippics against capitalist excess are hard to distinguish from postwar politics, when former allies became lethal enemies, while in America the Red Scare of McCarthyism loomed.
—William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
While its always welcome to see additional news outlets in the battle for truth, justice and the American way, this philippic certainly doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously as a dispenser of information.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2022
Early Friday morning, around 1 am Eastern, President Donald Trump had published a 102-word philippic to his Facebook and Twitter pages.
—Benjamin Wofford, Wired, 10 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for philippic
Noun
-
Bruce Springsteen has escalated his beef with Donald Trump, dropping an entire live EP of anti-Trump jeremiads.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
21 May 2025
-
Hay dashed off another jeremiad to their associates.—
Kate Knibbs,
Wired News,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
Academics in particular knew the impact of his anti-college diatribes, demonizing of university professors, and literal targeting of them with Professor Watchlist.—
Karen J. Leader,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Like everyone else, Nina’d had too much to drink and was trying to follow Bess’s diatribe while looking for a place to break in and divert.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While discussing the current compensation system in college sports, the president went on a tirade against the Supreme Court for unanimously ruling against the NCAA’s restrictions on noncash compensation for college athletes in 2021.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Like Americans everywhere, many of us watched the State of the Union speech, a divisive tirade.—
Milly Dawson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to Fairbanks, who moved to South Africa from the United States more than fifteen years ago, attacks on farms appear to be mostly economically motivated crimes.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The attack illustrated the care news outlets must take in reporting during wartime, and the responsibilities of American journalists to report the perspective of countries its government views as enemies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Dowdle responded to criticism of his performance down the stretch on social media on Friday, seemingly taking a shot at coach Dave Canales’ offensive play-calling.—
Mike Kaye
Updated March 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
-
With the police chief taking criticism for a recent rise in shootings by officers, several proposals sought to strengthen accountability for the use of deadly force.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Indeed, Trump’s plan conforms more to the he-man approach to defense policy, exemplified by Hegseth’s harangues to Pentagon officers and service members, than to any sober assessment of military needs.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Disney and Paramount Global both kowtowed to weak suits from President Donald Trump agreeing to pay settlements of $15 million and $16 million, respectively, to make the legal harangues go away rather than fighting for ABC News and CBS News.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Reverend Cross never got to deliver his sermon from his pulpit on the day of the bombing.—
John Archibald,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
-
For Cutié, his Sunday sermon won’t necessarily focus on Cuba’s recent developments.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Borlaug made a point of agreeing with Ehrlich in his Nobel lecture, saying the Green Revolution was a temporary reprieve and that population control was also essential in the ongoing battle against hunger.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Two Catholic institutions have distanced themselves from the lecture series, which continues through Wednesday.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Philippic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philippic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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