criticize
English
Alternative forms
- criticise (British)
Etymology
critic + -ize; first element from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from κρίσις (krísis, “crisis”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈkɹɪtɪsaɪz/
Audio (UK) (file) - Hyphenation: crit‧i‧cize
Verb
criticize (third-person singular simple present criticizes, present participle criticizing, simple past and past participle criticized) (transitive, intransitive)
- To find fault (with something).
- Synonyms: censure, pick at; see also Thesaurus:criticize
- Hyponyms: find fault, shoot down, run down, trash out, fustigate, drub, excoriate
- They criticized him for endangering people's lives.
- To evaluate (something), assessing its merits and faults.
- Synonyms: censure, appraise, judge
Related terms
- critic
- critical
- criticism
- criticizable
- critique
Translations
to find fault
|
to evaluate
|
See also
- scold
- complain
Further reading
- criticise in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- criticize in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911