BRICKBAT Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

brickbat

noun

ˈbrik-ˌbat

Definition of brickbat

as in insult

an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings the brickbats were flying the night that those two bitchy divas were seated at the same table

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of brickbat India has faced brickbats for not testing enough despite the emphasis laid by the World Health Organisation. — Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, 22 Mar. 2020 His popularity has survived brickbats and thrived despite personal woes. — Matthew Daly, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2020 Mr Johnson is hyper-sensitive to the brickbats of the liberal elite into which he was born, and sulked after the referendum when his neighbours in Islington turned against him. — Boris Johnson, The Economist, 4 July 2019 Lenny, who was accustomed to brickbats, picked himself up and kept his conducting dates, but Jamie believes that Felicia, suffering from public humiliation, was never the same. — David Denby, The New Yorker, 16 June 2018 Years of critical brickbats toughened Albee’s already tough hide and taught him to trust only himself. — Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brickbat

Noun

Try to remember that your teen’s eyes were focused squarely on the $100 prize and so this is an issue of overlooking rather than one of insult.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Yet in a land where machismo still reigns, it’s considered a rather severe insult.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of insult

Noun

The attack sparked outrage in Israel, with Netanyahu traveling to the attack site and vowing to respond forcefully.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
The housing protests gathered pace last month, fueled by outrage over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home of seven decades in downtown Madrid.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of outrage

Browse Nearby Words

brick

brickbat

brickbats

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Brickbat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brickbat. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of brickbat

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes