| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lambaste; defeat mentally |
| Synonyms: | attack, beat, castigate, clobber, criticize, drub, flay, lash out at, lick*, rail at, shellac, whip* |
| Antonyms: | boost, compliment, praise, uphold |
| Main Entry: | censure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | condemn; criticize severely |
| Synonyms: | abuse, admonish, animadvert, asperse, attack, backbite, berate, blame, carp at, castigate, cavil, chastise, chide, contemn, cut up, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, disapprove, discipline, disparage, exprobate, find fault with, get after, impugn, incriminate, judge, knock, lecture, look askance, ostracize, pick apart, pull apart, read out, rebuff, rebuke, remonstrate, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, scold, take to task, tear apart, tell off, upbraid |
| Notes: | to censor is to disallow portions or the entireties of books, plays, etc. on the grounds that they transgress propriety, 'to scrutinize, revise, or cut,' expurgate or suppress; to censure is to criticize vehemently or harshly, or condemn |
| Antonyms: | allow, approve, compliment, endorse, laud, permit, sanction |
| Main Entry: | clasp |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | grab tightly |
| Synonyms: | attack, bear hug, buckle, clamp, clinch, clip, clutch, coll, concatenate, connect, embrace, enfold, fasten, glom onto, grapple, grasp, grip, hold, hug, pin, press, seize, snatch, squeeze, take |
| Antonyms: | let go, loose |
| Main Entry: | come down on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize strongly |
| Synonyms: | attack, dress down, jump on, land on, rebuke, reprimand, scold |
| Antonyms: | compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | complain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | grumble about |
| Synonyms: | accuse, ascribe, attack, beef, bellyache, bemoan, bewail, bitch, carp, cavil, charge, contravene, criticize, defy, demur, denounce, deplore, deprecate, differ, disagree, disapprove, dissent, expostulate, find fault, fret, fuss, gainsay, grieve, gripe, groan, grouse, growl, grumble, impute, indict, kick up a fuss, lament, lay, look askance, make a fuss, moan, nag, object, oppose, protest, refute, remonstrate, repine, reproach, snivel, sound off, take exception to, wail, whimper, whine, yammer |
| Antonyms: | applaud, approve, be content, be happy, commend, praise, recommend, sanction |
| Main Entry: | contest |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | fight |
| Synonyms: | altercate, attack, battle, brawl, break with, buck, compete, conflict, contend, cross, defend, duel, feud, fight over, gang up on, hassle, knuckle with, lay a finger on, lay out, put on gloves, put up dukes, quarrel, repel, rival, row, rumpus, scrap, scuffle, set to, sock, square off, strike, struggle, take on, tilt, traverse, vie, withstand, wrangle |
| Antonyms: | agree |
| Main Entry: | convulsion |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | muscle spasm |
| Synonyms: | algospasm, attack, contortion, contraction, cramp, epilepsy, fit, paroxysm, seizure, throe, tremor |
| Main Entry: | damn |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | condemn, denounce |
| Synonyms: | abuse, anathematize, attack, ban, banish, blaspheme, blast, cast out, castigate, censure, complain of, confound, convict, criticize, cry down, curse, cuss, darn, denunciate, doom, drat, excommunicate, excoriate, execrate, expel, flame, fulminate against, imprecate, inveigle against, jinx, object to, objurgate, pan, penalize, proscribe, punish, revile, sentence, slam, swear, thunder against |
| Notes: | a dam is a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water while damn is used as an expletive meaning cursed, condemned to hell |
| Antonyms: | bless, cherish, commend, elevate, exalt, favor, glorify, laud, praise, promote |
| Main Entry: | declaim |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | proclaim; get on a soapbox |
| Synonyms: | attack, bloviate, blow hot air, declare, decry, denounce, harangue, hold forth, inveigh, lecture, mouth, orate, perorate, pile it on, proclaim, rail, rant, recite, soapbox, speak, spiel*, spout, talk big |