Broadsiding

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sudden and harsh criticism that can unsettle someone’s circumstances often mirrors the impact of a lateral collision causing apparent damage
2. The act of delivering an unexpected and severe rebuke can significantly alter someone's situation, similar to the effects of striking the side of a moving object
3. A forceful and unexpected criticism can disrupt an individual's situation much like the impact experienced in a side collision with a vehicle

Etymology: A broadside was originally a naval term for the full set of cannon on one side of a warship, all fired together at an enemy vessel. The word combines "broad," meaning wide, with "side," so it literally describes a ship's wide flank turned toward a target. From that image, "broadside" came to mean any sudden, direct attack, and eventually a verb, "to broadside," meaning to strike a vehicle or a person from the side. Verbs formed this way can take "-ing" to name the act itself, so "broadsiding" is the act of being hit unexpectedly from the side, whether by a physical collision or by an unexpected verbal attack.

Synonyms: collision, attack