Meaning & use
jeremiad
Last updated
A long, mournful complaint or a lengthy speech that laments a situation and warns of doom.
See it in a sentence
The columnist's jeremiad about declining civic life ran for three full pages.
His speech turned into a jeremiad against modern technology and its effects on attention spans.
A note on using this word
The word comes from the biblical prophet Jeremiah, known for his sorrowful warnings; it's typically used for extended, gloomy complaints rather than brief criticism.
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