Fusillade is a noun that refers to a spirited outburst.
Coming from the French word for ‘to shoot,’ our word of the day has been with us since the early 19th century. In the past, it was mainly used in a military context, referring to missiles or bullets being shot. But more recently it’s likely to be used in a metaphorical sense, referring to words being fired away in the form of a rant or tirade. Here’s an example:
Frank’s angry fusillade about the failures or our computers appears to have spurred management to make some changes in the system. Sometimes all it takes is a hot-tempered tirade to get what you want.
