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Banter vs Diatribe - What's the difference?

banter | diatribe |

As nouns the difference between banter and diatribe

is that banter is good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation while diatribe is an abusive, bitter, attack, or criticism: denunciation.

As a verb banter

is to engage in banter or playful conversation.

banter

English

Noun

(-)
  • Good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.
    • It seemed like I'd have to listen to her playful banter for hours.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To engage in banter or playful conversation.
  • To play or do something amusing.
  • To tease (someone) mildly.
  • * Washington Irving
    • Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then bantered on my haggard looks the next day.
  • * Charlotte Brontë
    • Mr. Sweeting was bantered about his stature—he was a little man, a mere boy in height and breadth compared with the athletic Malone
  • To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.).
  • * Chatham
    • If they banter' your regularity, order, and love of study, ' banter in return their neglect of them.
  • To delude or trick; to play a prank upon.
  • * Daniel De Foe
    • We diverted ourselves with bantering several poor scholars with hopes of being at least his lordship's chaplain.
  • (transitive, US, Southern and Western, colloquial) To challenge to a match.

    • Synonyms

    * (tease) kid, wind up

    Derived terms

    * (l)

    References

    Anagrams

    *

    diatribe

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An abusive, bitter, attack, or criticism: denunciation.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1913, author=
    • , title=Lord Stranleigh Abroad , chapter=4 citation , passage=“… No rogue e’er felt the halter draw, with a good opinion of the law, and perhaps my own detestation of the law arises from my having frequently broken it. If this long diatribe bores you, just say so, and I’ll cut it short.”}}
  • A prolonged discourse.
  • A speech or writing which bitterly denounces something.
    • The senator was prone to diatribes which could go on for more than an hour.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * diatribal

    Quotations

    {{quote-book, year=1991 , author=Bill Crow , title=Jazz Anecdotes citation , isbn=9780195071337 , publisher=Oxford University Press , page=316 , passage=You know, it’s all this racial diatribe , and very strong language, screaming at the top of his lungs into the telephone.}} ----