crucify

English

Etymology

From Middle English crucifien, from Old French crucefier, from Late Latin crucificō, from Latin crucifigō.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkɹuːsɪfaɪ/
Audio (UK) (file)
Rhymes: -aɪ

Verb

crucify (third-person singular simple present crucifies, present participle crucifying, simple past and past participle crucified)

To execute (a person) by nailing to a cross.
(hyperbolic) To punish or otherwise express extreme anger at, especially as a scapegoat or target of outrage.
After his public gaffe, he was crucified in the media.
- 1896 July 9, William Jennings Bryan, Cross of Gold speech:
  Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.
- 1992, Tori Amos (lyrics and music), “Crucify”:
  I crucify myself, nothing I do is good enough for you / I crucify myself every day
(hyperbolic, informal, sports) To thoroughly beat at a sport or game.
West Ham beat Manchester City five nil–they crucified them!

Derived terms

decrucify

Related terms

cross
crucifix
crucifixion
crucifixional
crux

Translations

to execute a person by nailing to a cross

Arabic: صَلَبَ‎ (ṣalaba), صَلَّبَ‎ (ṣallaba)
Armenian: խաչել (hy) (xačʿel)
Bulgarian: разпъвам на кръст (razpǎvam na krǎst)
Catalan: crucificar (ca)
Czech: ukřižovat
Danish: korsfæstet
Dutch: kruisigen (nl)
Esperanto: krucumi (eo)
Finnish: ristiinnaulita (fi)
French: crucifier (fr)
Galician: crucificar
German: kreuzigen (de)
Gothic: 𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hramjan)
Greek: σταυρώνω (el) (stavróno)
Ancient: σταυρόω (stauróō)
Hebrew: צָלַב‎ (he)
Hungarian: keresztre feszít (hu)
Icelandic: krossfesta
Ido: krucagar (io)
Italian: crocifiggere (it), crocefiggere
Latin: crucifīgō
Malay: menyalib
Maori: rīpeka
Middle English: crucifien
Norwegian:
Bokmål: korsfeste (no)
Nynorsk: korsfeste
Old English: rōdfæstnian, āhōn
Ottoman Turkish: خاچلامق‎ (haçlamak)
Plautdietsch: kjriezjen
Polish: ukrzyżować (pl) pf
Portuguese: crucificar (pt)
Quechua: chakatay
Romanian: crucifica (ro), răstigni (ro)
Russian: распя́ть (ru) pf (raspjátʹ), распина́ть (ru) impf (raspinátʹ)
Scottish Gaelic: ceus
Spanish: crucificar (es)
Swedish: korsfästa (sv)
Turkish: haçlamak (tr), çarmıha germek (tr)
Welsh: croeshoelio (cy)
Yiddish: קרייציקן‎ (kreytsikn)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} krucumi (eo)
Slovene: ^{(please verify)} križati