to fulminate against
1
9.9
- phrasal verb
- /ˈfʌlmɪˌneɪt əˈɡɛnst/
- Formal
:
fulminar contra
- When Al Smith ran for president in 1928, much of the Catholic press fulminated against the anti-Catholicism of the opposition campaign, but rarely called upon Catholics to organize a voting bloc to elect Smith.
- fulminate against the president
Examples
-
During the debate, he fulminated against the proposed law, claiming it would harm many citizens.
-
He pounded, he shouted, he walked around bent over and yelling at the stage as he fulminated against sexual sin.
Academic text (1997) -
Saint Augustine fulminated against sin, then wrote his Confessions.
Fiction book (1995) -
In a preface to the report, ACTWU President Jack Scheinkman fulminated against this policy:
Academic text (1998) -
On the one hand, we're fulminating against the high-dollar fundraising operations of the opposing candidate, but are then excited about how well our candidates are raising money.
Blog text (28) -
Bombastic and irascible, he is a spokesman for Mirbeau as he fulminates against the treachery of female sexuality.
Academic text (1997) -
Unfortunately, those fulminating against "big government" don't know their history very well and aren't aware that much, if not most, of what they propose on a national scale has already been tried—in a much simpler and easier time—and found wanting.
Blog text (9) -
Behind this protective shield, the preachers fulminated against the idols and the effigies that were doing Satan's work of arousing the senses and called for a great cleansing.
Academic text (1999) -
The environmentalists fulminated against the government's decisions that harmed the national parks.
-
She fulminated against the unfair treatment of workers during her speech at the rally.
Synonyms
597
3.4
To strongly criticize someone or something in public
283
3.2
To show strong disagreement in public, often by joining a march or strike
115
6.8
Publicly criticize someone or something strongly
71
5.6
Suddenly say angry things about someone by speaking or writing
70
4.8
To speak loudly and angrily for a long time
61
5.3
To strongly criticize someone in public
44
4.1
Publicly say you are strongly against something or someone
43
7.9
To say or write bad things about someone to harm them
40
3.6
To show in public that you strongly disagree with something
31
7.7
To say in public that something is bad or wrong
29
5.8
To attack someone strongly in speech or writing
23
8.2
To say angry, insulting things about someone or something
15
4.2
To say in public that you do not support something
12
8.2
To criticize someone very strongly and angrily
11
7.8
To send angry, insulting messages to someone online
9
9.8
To criticize someone or something very harshly in public
7
8.9
To speak angrily to someone for a long time
4
6.8
Complain loudly in public to get attention
2
9.9
To speak or write strongly against something
2
7.4
To complain loudly and make people notice the problem
1
9.0
To speak or write very angrily against something to show strong criticism
1
8.0
To criticize someone or something very strongly in public
1
7.5
To speak angrily and strongly to criticize someone
1
6.7
To criticize someone or something strongly in public
1
6.8
Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong
Attack someone with strong words in public
To criticize someone angrily using harsh words
Say angry, cruel things about someone
To speak angrily to someone and criticize them
Antonyms
How Forceful
- Formal
1
9.9
- Formal
115
6.8
701
3.3
∞
1.0
6
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to criticize or denounce angrily and forcefully' is directly derivable from combining 'fulminate' (to rail or thunder against) with 'against' (expressing opposition), since the preposition simply marks the target of the strong verbal attack. This verb+preposition pattern is compositionally straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both constituents would be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Fulminate against comes from an old word for 'lightning' and 'thunder', so to fulminate against is like speaking in a storm, throwing loud, angry words at someone. That's why it means 'to criticize angrily with strong words'.