Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BRICKBAT

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connect this word to others: The "brick" in the word brickbat is there for good reason, as we'll see in just a moment. And so is the "brick" in the word goldbrick--can you recall what a goldbricker does, and what goldbricking has to do with literal gold bricks? But the "bric" in the word bric-a-brac is pure nonsense, just auditory decor, which is appropriate when you recall what bric-a-brac is. make your point with... "BRICKBAT" One meaning of "bat" is "a piece or a lump of anything." Another meaning of "bat" is "a wooden stick used as a weapon." And a brickbat is a piece of a brick used as a makeshift weapon. (Whether the "bat" in "brickbat" comes from the meaning of "lump" or "weapon" or both is a matter of disagreement across dictionaries. Regardless, I like how the OED defines "brickbat" as "the typical ready missile, where stones are scarce.") Figuratively, a brickbat is a mean or critical comment that reminds you of a chunk of brick hurled at someone angrily and suddenly. Pronunciation: BRICK bat Part of speech: Noun, the countable kind: "these brickbats," "a target for brickbats." Other forms: The plural is "brickbats." "Brickbat" is a verb, too: to brickbat people or things is to throw literal or figurative chunks of bricks at them. The other forms are "brickbatted" and "brickbatting." How to use it: This word is rare, fun to say, and easy to understand. Like "bombard," it has that explosive "b! b!" sound that calls attention to the brutality and spontaneity of someone's mean comments. Talk about people tossing, throwing, or hurling brickbats, usually at other people. You can also pelt people with brickbats, let the brickbats fly, withstand brickbats, nurse your wounds from the brickbats, etc. Sometimes we pair the word "brickbats" with "bouquets" to talk about waves of both criticisms and praise. "His every move as president drew both brickbats and bouquets." examples: "More than most potential candidates for the president, Warren seemed to be ready for the brickbats."    — David Weigel, Washington Post, 1 January 2019 "Even in highly cyclical, capital-intensive industries like mining, the current big cheese usually gets the brickbats—or the credit—for the consequences of decisions made long ago."    — Nathaniel Taplin, The Wall Street Journal, 24 October 2017 has this page helped you understand "brickbat"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "brickbat" without saying "swipe" or "aspersion." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Despite the brickbats, (someone or something) (succeeded in some way)." Example: "Despite the brickbats, the Twilight films earned hundreds of millions of dollars." If you like, use this space to draft your sentence. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "Inspired by, but in no way associated with, the game show Chain Reaction." In each issue, try filling in both puzzles—the easier one and the tougher one—by supplying the terms to complete the chains.  From the previous issue: An easier puzzle:    Tenuous    G____    Reflex A tougher puzzle:     Sanguine    A____    T___    Machine Answers:    Tenuous    Grasp    Reflex    Sanguine    About    Time    Machine Give these a try today: An easier puzzle:    Local    C____    Palette A tougher puzzle:     That's    A__    I_    Perpetuity review this word: 1. The opposite of BRICKBATTING is A. IMPLYING. B. CONGRATULATING. C. DECONSTRUCTING. 2. He steadied himself for the brickbats sure to be _____ by nitpicking superfans. A. raised B. lobbed C. discussed 1. B 2. B a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.