polemicist
Meaning: A person skilled in or given to making strong, controversial arguments, especially in writing, often attacking received opinions or established positions.
Polemicist carries a grudging respect — it implies intellectual sharpness and rhetorical force, even when the arguments are considered extreme. British journalism applies it to figures like Christopher Hitchens, George Orwell, and Julie Burchill. A polemic is the written or spoken attack itself; a polemicist is the person who delivers it. The word sits comfortably in literary criticism and political commentary.
Examples
- Hitchens was the finest polemicist of his generation, equally devastating in print and in debate. 希钦斯是他那一代最优秀的论战家,无论在文章中还是在辩论中都同样犀利。Hitchens fue el polemista más brillante de su generación, igualmente demoledor en la prensa y en el debate.ヒッチェンズは同世代で最も優れた論客であり、文章でも討論でも等しく壊滅的であった。히친스는 동시대 최고의 논객으로, 글에서나 토론에서나 동등하게 파괴적이었다.
- The book reads more as the work of a polemicist than a dispassionate historian. 这本书读起来更像是一个论战家的作品,而非一位冷静客观的历史学家。El libro se lee más como la obra de un polemista que como la de un historiador imparcial.この本は、公平な歴史家の著作というよりも論争家の作品として読める。이 책은 공정한 역사가의 저작이라기보다는 논쟁가의 작품에 가깝게 읽힌다.
- She established herself as a fearless polemicist whose columns provoked outrage and admiration in equal measure. 她确立了自己无畏论战家的地位,其专栏文章同时引发愤怒与敬佩。Se consagró como una polemista intrépida cuyas columnas provocaban a partes iguales indignación y admiración.彼女は恐れを知らない論客としての地位を確立し、そのコラムは怒りと賞賛を等しく引き起こした。그녀는 두려움을 모르는 논객으로 자리매김했으며, 그녀의 칼럼은 분노와 감탄을 동시에 불러일으켰다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: journalism, academic
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Greek polemikos (warlike, hostile), from polemos (war). The noun 'polemic' entered English in the 17th century for theological disputes; 'polemicist' followed in the 19th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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