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aspersion
- Criticism |əˈspərZHənaˈspərSHən|
- noun (usu. aspersions)
- an attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something: I don't think anyone is casting aspersions on you.
- ORIGIN
- late Middle English (denoting the sprinkling of water, especially at baptism): from Latin aspersio(n-), from aspergere (see asperse) .
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calumny
- criticism |ˈkaləmnē|
- noun (pl. calumnies)
- the making of false and defamatory statements in order to damage someone's reputation; slander.
- • a false and slanderous statement.
- DERIVATIVES
- calumnious |kəˈləmnēəs| adjective
- ORIGIN
- late Middle English: from Latin calumnia .
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castrigate
- criticism |ˈkastəˌɡāt|
- verb [ with obj. ] formal
- reprimand (someone) severely: he was castigated for not setting a good example.
- DERIVATIVES
- castigation |ˌkastəˈɡāSH(ə)n| noun.
- castigator |ˈkastəˌɡādər| noun.
- castigatory |ˈkastəɡəˌtôrē| adjective
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decry
- criticize |dəˈkrī|
- verb (decries, decrying, decried) [ with obj. ]
- publicly denounce: they decried human rights abuses.
- DERIVATIVES
- decrier noun
- ORIGIN
- early 17th cent. (in the sense ‘decrease the value of coins by royal proclamation’): from de-‘down’ + cry, on the pattern of French décrier ‘cry down.’
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deride/derisive
- criticize |dəˈrīd|
- verb [ with obj. ]
- express contempt for; ridicule: critics derided the proposals as clumsy attempts to find a solution.
- DERIVATIVES
- derider |dəˈrīdər| noun
- ORIGIN
- mid 16th cent.: from Latin deridere ‘scoff at.’
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diatribe
- criticize |ˈdīəˌtrīb|
- noun
- a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something: a diatribe against the Roman Catholic Church.
- ORIGIN
- late 16th cent. (denoting a disquisition): from French, via Latin from Greek diatribē ‘spending of time, discourse,’ from dia ‘through’ + tribein ‘rub.’
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Estoriate
- |ikˈskôrēˌātekˈskôrēˌāt|
- verb [ with obj. ]
- 1 formal censure or criticize severely: the papers that had been excoriating him were now lauding him.
- 2 chiefly Medicine damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin).
- DERIVATIVES
- excoriation |ikˌskôrēˈāSH(ə)nekˌskôrēˈāSH(ə)n| noun
- ORIGIN
- late Middle English: from Latin excoriat- ‘skinned,’ from the verb excoriare, from ex- ‘out, from’ + corium ‘skin, hide.’
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gainsay
- criticize |ˌɡānˈsā|
- verb (past and past participle gainsaid) [ with obj. with negative ] formal
- deny or contradict (a fact or statement): the impact of the railroads cannot be gainsaid.
- • speak against or oppose (someone).
- DERIVATIVES
- gainsayer noun
- ORIGIN
- Middle English: from obsolete gain- ‘against’ + say.
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harangue
- criticize |həˈraNG|
- noun
- a lengthy and aggressive speech.
- verb [ with obj. ]
- lecture (someone) at length in an aggressive and critical manner: the kind of guy who harangued total strangers about PCB levels in whitefish.
- DERIVATIVES
- haranguer noun
- ORIGIN
- late Middle English: from Old French arenge, from medieval Latin harenga, perhaps of Germanic origin. The spelling was later altered to conform with French harangue (noun), haranguer (verb).
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inveigh
- criticize |inˈvā|
- verb [ no obj. ] (inveigh against)
- speak or write about (something) with great hostility: nationalists inveighed against those who worked with the British.
- ORIGIN
- late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘carry in, introduce’; formerly also as enveigh): from Latin invehere ‘carry in,’ invehi ‘be carried into, assail,’ from in- ‘into’ + vehere ‘carry.’
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lambaste
- criticism |lamˈbāstlamˈbast| (also lambast |-ˈbast| )
- verb [ with obj. ]
- criticize (someone or something) harshly: they lambasted the report as a gross distortion of the truth.
- ORIGIN
- mid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘beat, thrash’): from lam1 + baste3. The current sense dates from the late 19th cent.
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objurgate
- |ˈäbjərˌɡāt|
- verb [ with obj. ]
- rebuke severely; scold.
- DERIVATIVES
- objurgation |ˌäbjərˈɡāSHən| noun.
- objurgator |-ɡātər| noun.
- objurgatory |əbˈjərɡəˌtôrē| adjective
- ORIGIN
- early 17th cent.: from Latin objurgat- ‘chided, rebuked,’ from the verb objurgare, based on jurgium ‘strife.’
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obloquey
- criticism |ˈäbləkwē|
- noun
- strong public criticism or verbal abuse: he endured years of contempt and obloquy.
- • disgrace, especially that brought about by public abuse: conduct to which no more obloquy could reasonably attach.
- DERIVATIVES
- obloquial |äbˈlōkwēəl| adjective.
- obloquious |äbˈlōkwēəs| adjective
- ORIGIN
- late Middle English: from late Latin obloquium ‘contradiction,’ from Latin obloqui, from ob- ‘against’ + loqui ‘speak.’
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opprobrium
- criticize |əˈprōbrēəm|
- noun
- harsh criticism or censure: his films and the critical opprobrium they have generated.
- • the public disgrace arising from someone's shameful conduct: the opprobrium of being closely associated with thugs and gangsters.
- • archaic an occasion or cause of reproach or disgrace.
- ORIGIN
- mid 17th cent.: from Latin, literally ‘infamy,’ from opprobrum, from ob- ‘against’ + probrum ‘disgraceful act.’
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pillory
- criticize |ˈpilərē| historical
- noun (pl. pillories)
- a wooden framework with holes for the head and hands, in which an offender was imprisoned and exposed to public abuse.
- pillory
- verb (pillories, pillorying, pilloried) [ with obj. ]
- 1 put (someone) in the pillory.
- 2 attack or ridicule publicly: he found himself pilloried by members of his own party.
- ORIGIN
- Middle English: from Old French pilori, probably from Provençal espilori (associated by some with a Catalan word meaning ‘peephole,’ of uncertain origin).
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remonstrate
- criticize |rəˈmänˌstrāt|
- verb [ no obj. ]
- make a forcefully reproachful protest: he turned angrily to remonstrate with Tommy | [ with direct speech ] : “You don't mean that,” she remonstrated.
- DERIVATIVES
- remonstration |rəˌmänˈstrāSHənrēˌmänˈstrāSHənˌremənˈstrāSHən| noun.
- remonstrative |rəˈmänstrədivrēˈmänˌstrādivˈremənˌstrādiv| adjective.
- remonstrator |rəˈmänˌstrādərrēˈmänˌstrādərˈremənˌstrādər| noun
- ORIGIN
- late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘make plain’): from medieval Latin remonstrat- ‘demonstrated,’ from the verb remonstrare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + monstrare ‘to show.’
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reprove
- criticize |rəˈpro͞ov|
- verb [ with obj. ]
- reprimand or censure (someone): he was reproved for obscenity | [ with direct speech ] : “Don't be childish, Hilary,” he reproved mildly | (as adj. reproving) : a reproving glance.
- DERIVATIVES
- reprovable adjective.
- reprover noun.
- reprovingly |rəˈpro͞oviNGlē| adverb
- ORIGIN
- Middle English (also in the senses ‘reject’ and ‘censure’): from Old French reprover, from late Latin reprobare ‘disapprove’ (see reprobate) .
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revile
- criticize |rəˈvīl|
- verb [ with obj. ]
- criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner: he was now reviled by the party that he had helped to lead.
- DERIVATIVES
- revilement noun.
- reviler noun
- ORIGIN
- Middle English: from Old French reviler, based on vil ‘vile.’
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tirade
- |ˈtīˌrād|
- noun
- a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation: a tirade of abuse.
- ORIGIN
- early 19th cent.: from French, literally ‘long speech,’ from Italian tirata ‘volley,’ from tirare ‘to pull.’
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vituperate
- criticize |vəˈtyo͞opərātvīˈt(y)o͞opəˌrāt|
- verb [ with obj. ] archaic
- blame or insult (someone) in strong or violent language.
- DERIVATIVES
- vituperator |vəˈt(y)o͞opəˌrādərvīˈt(y)o͞opəˌrādər| noun
- ORIGIN
- mid 16th cent.: from Latin vituperat- ‘censured, disparaged,’ from the verb vituperare, from vitium ‘fault’ + parare ‘prepare.’
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