brickbat
English · Thesaurus
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brickbat
- /ˈbɹɪkbæt/ UK
- /ˈbɹɪkˌbæt/ US
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from brick + bat (“a bit, piece; specifically, part of a brick with one whole end”). The verb is derived from the noun.
noun brickbats
- A piece of brick, rock, etc., especially when used as a weapon (for example, thrown or placed in a sock or other receptacle and used as a club). [S]he sēt [sent] a brick back after him & hit him on þᵉ back, […]
-
A piece of (sharp) criticism or a (highly) uncomplimentary remark.
I beſeech ye friends, ere the brickbats flye, reſolve me and your ſelves, is it blasphemy, or any vvhit diſagreeing from Chriſtian meekneſſe, […] for me to anſvver a ſlovenly vvincer of a confutation, that, if he vvould needs put his foot to ſuch a ſvveaty ſervice, the odour of his Sock vvas like to
Opposite: bouquet
verb brickbats · brickbatting · brickbatted
- To attack (someone or something) by swinging or throwing brickbats (noun sense 1). We had two boys arrested, both colored, for brick-batting a colored woman in her house. They were sent to the chaingang for 12 months each.
- To assail (someone or something) with (sharp) criticism.
Translations
Every language
noun piece of brick, rock, etc., especially when used as a weapon
| Español | pedrada |
|---|---|
| Русский | половня́к polovnják, булы́жник bulýžnik |
verb to attack (someone or something) by swinging or throwing brickbats
| Español | lanzar unas pedradas |
|---|
verb to assail (someone or something) with (sharp) criticism
| Tiếng Việt | búa rìu dư luận |
|---|
Talk about this word "brickbat." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/brickbat. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. brickbat. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/brickbat "brickbat." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/brickbat.Cite this
@misc{brickbat_2026,
title = {brickbat},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/brickbat},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
