Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To deliver a formal recitation, especially as an exercise in rhetoric or elocution.
- intransitive verb To speak loudly and vehemently; inveigh.
- intransitive verb To utter or recite with rhetorical effect.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To make a formal speech or oration; harangue.
- To speak or write for rhetorical effect; speak or write pompously or elaborately, without earnestness of purpose, sincerity, or sound argument; rant.
- To repeat a select piece of prose or poetry in public, as an exercise in oratory or to exhibit skill in elocution.
- To utter or deliver in public in a rhetorical or oratorical manner.
- To speak as an exercise in elocution: as, he declaimed Mark Antony's speech.
- 3. To maintain or advocate oratorically.
- To speak against; cry down; decry.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To speak rhetorically; to make a formal speech or oration; to harangue; specifically, to recite a speech, poem, etc., in public as a rhetorical exercise; to practice public speaking.
- intransitive verb To speak for rhetorical display; to speak pompously, noisily, or theatrically; to make an empty speech; to rehearse trite arguments in debate; to rant.
- transitive verb To utter in public; to deliver in a rhetorical or set manner.
- transitive verb obsolete To defend by declamation; to advocate loudly.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
object to somethingvociferously ; torail against inspeech . - verb To
recite , e.g.,poetry , in atheatrical way.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb speak against in an impassioned manner
- verb recite in elocution
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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"There's a fierce gray bird with a bending beak," that the boys loved so dearly to "declaim;" and another poem by this last author, which we all liked to read, partly from a childish love of the tragic, and partly for its graphic description of an avalanche's movement: --
A New England girlhood, outlined from memory (Beverly, MA) Lucy Larcom 1858
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From the latter, there are some who pretend to be free: they are generally such as declaim against the lust of wealth and power, because they have never been able to attain any high degree in either: they boast of generosity and feeling.
The Man of Feeling Henry Mackenzie 1788
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Boehner says that whoever runs against Obama will have to want to make a smaller government and love America, but not love America in a way that forces Boehner to say, "I take him at his word that he loves America," rather, one that makes Boehner declaim with certainty, "He loves America."
TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Jason Linkins 2011
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SCOTT SIMON, host: In Washington, D.C. this week, something happened just a few blocks from Congress, where politicians debate and declaim about illegal immigrants.
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Boehner says that whoever runs against Obama will have to want to make a smaller government and love America, but not love America in a way that forces Boehner to say, "I take him at his word that he loves America," rather, one that makes Boehner declaim with certainty, "He loves America."
TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Jason Linkins 2011
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Nay, the members of a union will declaim in impassioned rhetoric for the God-given right of an eight-hour day, and at the time be working their own business against seventeen hours out of the twenty-four.
THE SCAB 2010
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SCOTT SIMON, host: In Washington, D.C. this week, something happened just a few blocks from Congress, where politicians debate and declaim about illegal immigrants.
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SCOTT SIMON, host: In Washington, D.C. this week, something happened just a few blocks from Congress, where politicians debate and declaim about illegal immigrants.
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Only Thor's evil brother, Loki Tom Hiddleston, gets to declaim any flavorsome lines.
'Thor': A Vehicle of Low Norsepower Joe Morgenstern 2011
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SCOTT SIMON, host: In Washington, D.C. this week, something happened just a few blocks from Congress, where politicians debate and declaim about illegal immigrants.
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