PHILIPPIC Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

philippic

noun

fə-ˈli-pik

Definition of philippic

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for philippic

Noun

Kelaidis reads their popularity as evidence that historical scholarship has become a kind of liberal jeremiad, offering moral reassurance through historical analogy.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
The question, of course, is what we are supposed to do with these bourgeois jeremiads against bourgeois civilization, beyond enjoying them as high-end primal-scream therapy.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

Definition of jeremiad

Noun

Design After endless diatribes about the quirky lines of Ferrari’s all-electric Luce, the marque’s enthusiasts will find that the Amalfi Spider’s long-hood, raked-screen, and open-top lines are comfortingly familiar and unquestionably gorgeous.

— Howard Walker, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2026
Thank you, Kat Timpf, for speaking up against Greg Gutfeld’s hateful, pointless and incorrect diatribe about cats and the people who give them a home.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of diatribe

Noun

Ananberg-Poma posted on Instagram the night of the attack, remaining defiant despite Montes’ tirade.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026
Her scrolled embroideries have since been described as tirades, rants, and screeds—no horses or cables, just the language pummeling the eye.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of tirade

Noun

Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones targeting military industries and energy facilities.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Weeks of Iranian drone and missile attacks on the UAE earlier this year, the vast majority of which were intercepted, sparked tensions among locals and hammered the country's tourism and aviation industry.

— Jenni Reid,Emma Graham, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

The justice ministry rejected the criticism, saying the proceedings complied with Syrian law and included the participation of victims and their representatives.

— Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
The documentary spotlighted some harsh criticisms of the show and of Banks.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticism

Noun

Stephen Adly Guirgis, a New York playwright who specializes in urban pressure-cooker dramas, has a gift for writing subway strap-hanger harangues.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
The Americans were prepared for a lecture from Russia’s longtime foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, who is well known for his tedious harangues.

— Michael Crowley, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025

Definition of harangue

Noun

Asking about being alone with a Haitian, for instance, prompted a quick lecture on resisting the forces of prejudice.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
But Wolff says the food patterns children see at home tend to stick, which is why parents modeling nutritious choices can carry more weight than any lecture.

— Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of lecture

Browse Nearby Words

philharmonics

philippic

philippics

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Philippic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philippic. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of philippic

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

august

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes