Harangue, n.
Etymology: [F. harangue: cf. Sp. arenda, It. aringa; lit., a speech before a multitude or on the hustings, It. aringo arena, hustings, pulpit; all fr. OHG. hring ring, anything round, ring of people, G. ring. See Ring.]
A speech addressed to a large public assembly; a popular oration; a loud address a multitude; in a bad sense, a noisy or pompous speech; declamation; ranting. Gray-headed men and grave, with warriors mixed, Assemble, and harangues are heard. Milton.
Syn. -- Harangue, Speech, Oration. Speech is generic; an oration is an elaborate and rhetorical speech; an harangue is a vehement appeal to the passions, or a noisy, disputatious address. A general makes an harangue to his troops on the eve of a battle; a demagogue harangues the populace on the subject of their wrongs.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Harangue, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Harangued; p. pr. & vb. n. Haranguing.]
To make an harangue; to declaim.
Harangue, v. t.
To address by an harangue.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for harangue; he lists it under speech.
Where he writes about it:
A speech may be the delivering of one's sentiments in the simplest way; an oration is an elaborate and prepared speech; a harangue is a vehement appeal to passion, or a speech that has something disputatious and combative in it. — from speech