billingsgate

noun

bil·lings·gate ˈbi-liŋz-ˌgāt How to pronounce billingsgate (audio)

British usually -git

: coarsely abusive language

Did you know?

Billingsgate Has Origins in a London Fish Market

From its beginnings during the time of the Roman occupation, the Billingsgate fish market in London, England, has been notorious for the crude language that has resounded through its stalls. In fact, the fish merchants of Billingsgate were so famous for their swearing centuries ago that their feats of vulgar language were recorded in British chronicler Raphael Holinshed's 1577 account of King Leir (which was probably William Shakespeare's source for King Lear). In Holinshed's volume, a messenger's language is said to be "as bad a tongue … as any oyster-wife at Billingsgate hath." By the middle of the 17th century, billingsgate had become a byword for foul language.

billingsgate

noun

as in scurrility

harsh insulting language the intemperate billingsgate to which the staff in customer service were sometimes subjected

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

scurrility
abuse
invective
insult
vituperation
fulmination
criticism
vitriol
blackguardism
obloquy
epithet
slur
curse
swearword
imprecation
blasphemy
profanity
malediction
revilement
polemic
reprimand
tirade
disparagement
diatribe
rebuke
expletive
excoriation
vilification
aspersion
castigation
harangue
belittlement
execration
opprobrium
reproof
chastisement
put-down
bad-mouthing
broadside

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

praise
applause
acclaim
commendation
compliments
endearments
felicitations
congratulations
flattery
adulation
blarney
soft soap
overpraise

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of billingsgate are abuse, invective, obloquy, and vituperation. While all these words mean "vehemently expressed condemnation or disapproval," billingsgate implies practiced fluency and variety of profane or obscene abuse.

directed a stream of billingsgate at the cabdriver

The synonyms abuse and billingsgate are sometimes interchangeable, but abuse, the most general term, usually implies the anger of the speaker and stresses the harshness of the language.

scathing verbal abuse

In some situations, the words invective and billingsgate are roughly equivalent. However, invective implies a comparable vehemence but suggests greater verbal and rhetorical skill and may apply to a public denunciation.

blistering political invective

The words obloquy and billingsgate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, obloquy suggests defamation and consequent shame and disgrace.

subjected to obloquy and derision

While in some cases nearly identical to billingsgate, vituperation implies fluent and sustained abuse.

a torrent of vituperation

单词	billingsgate
释义	billingsgate noun bil·lings·gate ˈbi-liŋz-ˌgāt British usually -git : coarsely abusive language Did you know? Billingsgate Has Origins in a London Fish Market From its beginnings during the time of the Roman occupation, the Billingsgate fish market in London, England, has been notorious for the crude language that has resounded through its stalls. In fact, the fish merchants of Billingsgate were so famous for their swearing centuries ago that their feats of vulgar language were recorded in British chronicler Raphael Holinshed's 1577 account of King Leir (which was probably William Shakespeare's source for King Lear). In Holinshed's volume, a messenger's language is said to be "as bad a tongue … as any oyster-wife at Billingsgate hath." By the middle of the 17th century, billingsgate had become a byword for foul language. Synonyms abuse fulmination invective obloquy scurrility vitriol vituperation See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences the intemperate billingsgate to which the staff in customer service were sometimes subjected Word History Etymology Billingsgate, old gate and fish market, London, England First Known Use 1652, in the meaning defined above billingsgate noun as in scurrility harsh insulting language the intemperate billingsgate to which the staff in customer service were sometimes subjected Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance scurrility abuse invective insult vituperation fulmination criticism vitriol blackguardism obloquy epithet slur curse swearword imprecation blasphemy profanity malediction revilement polemic reprimand tirade disparagement diatribe rebuke expletive excoriation vilification aspersion castigation harangue belittlement execration opprobrium reproof chastisement put-down bad-mouthing broadside Antonyms & Near Antonyms praise applause acclaim commendation compliments endearments felicitations congratulations flattery adulation blarney soft soap overpraise See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of billingsgate are abuse, invective, obloquy, and vituperation. While all these words mean "vehemently expressed condemnation or disapproval," billingsgate implies practiced fluency and variety of profane or obscene abuse. directed a stream of billingsgate at the cabdriver The synonyms abuse and billingsgate are sometimes interchangeable, but abuse, the most general term, usually implies the anger of the speaker and stresses the harshness of the language. scathing verbal abuse In some situations, the words invective and billingsgate are roughly equivalent. However, invective implies a comparable vehemence but suggests greater verbal and rhetorical skill and may apply to a public denunciation. blistering political invective The words obloquy and billingsgate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, obloquy suggests defamation and consequent shame and disgrace. subjected to obloquy and derision While in some cases nearly identical to billingsgate, vituperation implies fluent and sustained abuse. a torrent of vituperation
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billingsgate

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

noun

Synonym Chooser