Brickbat: meaning, definitions and examples
๐งฑ
brickbat
[ หbrษชkหbรฆt ]
criticism
A brickbat is a piece of broken brick. It is also used metaphorically to describe harsh criticism or negative remarks directed at someone or something.
Synonyms
attack, criticism, denunciation, rebuke
Examples of usage
- The politician faced a brickbat from the media after his controversial statement.
- She threw brickbats at his decision to drop out of college.
- The critics unleashed a volley of brickbats at the new film.
- He was tired of receiving brickbats from his colleagues.
physical object
A brickbat also refers to a fragment of a brick that can be used in construction or as a projectile.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The builder used brickbats to fill the gaps in the wall.
- A group of kids threw brickbats during the playful argument.
- The architect suggested using brickbats for the new design.
- He collected several brickbats to construct a small structure.
Translations
Translations of the word "brickbat" in other languages:
๐ต๐น pedra
๐ฎ๐ณ เคชเคคเฅเคฅเคฐ
๐ฉ๐ช Ziegelstein
๐ฎ๐ฉ batako
๐บ๐ฆ ัะตะณะปะธะฝะฐ
๐ต๐ฑ cegลa
๐ฏ๐ต ใฌใณใฌ
๐ซ๐ท brique
๐ช๐ธ ladrillo
๐น๐ท tuฤla
๐ฐ๐ท ๋ฒฝ๋
๐ธ๐ฆ ุทูุจ
๐จ๐ฟ cihla
๐ธ๐ฐ tehla
๐จ๐ณ ็ ๅ
๐ธ๐ฎ opek
๐ฎ๐ธ steinn
๐ฐ๐ฟ ะบััะฟัั
๐ฌ๐ช แแแ แ
๐ฆ๐ฟ kษrpic
๐ฒ๐ฝ ladrillo
Etymology
The term 'brickbat' has its origins in the mid-19th century, deriving from the combination of 'brick', a traditional building material, and 'bat', which means a fragment or piece. The literal meaning refers to a broken piece of brick, but the figurative use evolved as a way to describe sharp, critical remarks that are thrown at individuals or ideas much like a physical brickbat could be thrown as a missile. Over time, it has been adopted in various contexts, especially in media and politics, to describe the act of criticizing or attacking someone publicly. The duality of its meaningsโboth as a physical object and as a tool for verbal assaultโdemonstrates the versatility of language and how words can gain new connotations based on societal usage.
Word Frequency Rank
At position #40,385, this word is among the less frequently used terms in English. While interesting to know, it's not crucial for most English learners unless needed for specific purposes.