Declaim
/dɪˈkleɪm/noun
To speak loudly and forcefully, especially in a dramatic or formal way.
Did you know?Declaim descends from Latin *declamare*, a verb used for public shouting, rhetorical practice, and courtroom-style performance long before it meant polished speech.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
declamare
“to cry out; to practice rhetorical speaking”
Late Latin
Latin
declamatio
“a rhetorical exercise or public speech”
Old French
Old French
declaimer
“to speak or argue formally and forcefully”
14th–15th Century
English
declaimen
“to speak or argue in a loud, formal, or rhetorical manner”
Modern English
English
declaim
“to speak forcefully, theatrically, or at length in public”