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| crit·i·cize [ krítti sz ] (past and past participle crit·i·cized, present participle crit·i·ciz·ing, 3rd person present singular crit·i·ciz·es) |
transitive and intransitive verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. express disapproval of somebody or something: to express disapproval of or dissatisfaction with somebody or something
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2. give considered opinion on something: to make a considered assessment of the qualities of something, especially a creative work
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| Word Key: Synonyms |
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criticize, censure, castigate, blast, condemn, find fault with, pick holes in, nitpick
CORE MEANING: to express disapproval of or dissatisfaction with somebody or something
criticize to express disapproval of or dissatisfaction with somebody or something;
 The new policy was strongly criticized by two special-interest groups.
He has criticized the government for not launching an investigation.
censure to make a formal, often public or official statement of disapproval of somebody or something;
The three senators were censured by their peers.
It is not known whether the player will be censured for his bad sportsmanship.
castigate (formal) to criticize or rebuke somebody or somebody's behavior severely;
She castigated her political opponent on Tuesday for exaggerating the problem.
He was castigated as an alarmist by the country's president.
blast (informal) to criticize somebody or something severely;
She blasts homeowners who waste water during droughts.
The Olympic champion yesterday blasted critics who label sports as endorsement-driven.
condemn to state that something or somebody is in some way wrong or unacceptable;
When is world opinion going to condemn the rogue nation's actions?
This breach of medical confidentiality was strongly condemned by the patient's attorney.
find fault with to criticize somebody or something, often unfairly;
He finds fault with everything I do.
It is difficult to find fault with this eccentric and lively account.
pick holes in to look for and find minor mistakes in something, particularly in an argument;
pick holes in someone's ideas
It's almost impossible to pick holes in their claim.
nitpick to find insignificant details of something unsatisfactory, often unjustifiably;
Moira said her brother was still nitpicking over the contract.
We're just nitpicking - both proposals are generally sensible and workable. |
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