GRE criticism

  1. 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) .
  2. 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 .
  3. 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
  4. 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.’
  5. 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.’
  6. 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.’
  7. 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.’
  8. 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.
  9. 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).
  10. 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.’
  11. 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.
  12. 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.’
  13. 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.’
  14. 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.’
  15. 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).
  16. 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.’
  17. 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) .
  18. 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.’
  19. 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.’
  20. 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.’
Author
studysuccess
ID
330210
Card Set
GRE criticism
Description
vocabulary words
Updated