- Today's Word
Harangue
huh-RANG
Definition
- (noun) A long, passionate, and often angry speech or lecture.
- (verb) To deliver a forceful or critical speech.
Example
The coach harangued the team after their lackluster performance in the first half.
Fun Fact
“Harangue” traces back to medieval Latin and Old Italian, originally referring to a public speech before a crowd. While once neutral, the word evolved to imply a heated, critical lecture. Historically, great orators like Cicero and Martin Luther were known for their powerful harangues, influencing politics and social movements.
(adjective) Stubbornly and openly resistant to authority; defiant in the face of rules or commands.
The contumacious witness refused to answer the judge’s questions despite three separate warnings, ultimately forcing the court to hold her in contempt.
Contumacious derives from the Latin contumax, meaning “insolent” or “stubborn,” rooted in contemnere — “to despise” or “to scorn.” It entered English in the 16th century primarily as a legal term, used specifically to describe a person who willfully defied a court’s authority or refused to comply with its orders — a meaning it still carries in formal legal contexts today alongside its broader use.