| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize severely |
| Synonyms: | baste, bawl out, beat, berate, blister, cane, censure, chasten, chastise, chew out, come down on, correct, criticize, discipline, drag over the coals, dress down, drub, excoriate, flay, flog, jump down one's throat, lambaste, lash, lay out, lean on, penalize, pummel, punish, rail, rate, read the riot act, ream, rebuke, reprimand, scarify, scathe, scold, scorch, scourge, thrash, tongue-lash, upbraid, whip |
| Antonyms: | compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | beat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | injure by striking |
| Synonyms: | bang, bash, bat, batter, belt, box, break, bruise, buffet, cane, castigate, clout, club, collide, crush, cudgel, drub, flagellate, flail, flog, hammer, hit, knock, lambaste*, lash, lick*, maltreat, mash, maul, pelt, pound, pummel, punch, punish, ram, rap, slap, slug, smack, spank, strike, swat, thrash, thresh, thump, thwack, trounce, wallop, whale, whip |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, guard, help, protect |
| Main Entry: | berate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize hatefully |
| Synonyms: | bawl out, blister, call down, castigate, censure, chew out, chew*, chide, cuss out, eat out, give one hell, give what for, jaw, jump all over, rail at, rake over the coals, rate, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, revile, scold, scorch, tell off, tongue-lash, upbraid, vituperate |
| Antonyms: | compliment, hail, praise |
| Main Entry: | blast |
| 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: | chasten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | correct, humiliate |
| Synonyms: | abase, admonish, afflict, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chide, cow, curb, discipline, exprobate, fulminate against, have on the carpet, humble, objurgate, penalize, punish, rake over the coals, rebuke, reprehend, repress, reprimand, reproach, reprove, restrain, scold, scourge, soften, subdue, take to task, tame, tongue-lash, try, upbraid |
| Notes: | chasten means to correct by punishment, to take to task - to restrain or subdue; chastise means to punish, as by beating or to criticize severely |
| Antonyms: | aid, animate, assist, boost, cheer, comfort, embolden, encourage, help, honor, uplift |
| Main Entry: | chastise |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | scold, discipline |
| Synonyms: | baste, beat, berate, castigate, censure, chasten, chew out, climb all over, correct, ferule, flog, lash, lay into, lean on, pummel, punish, ream, scourge, skelp, slap down, spank, thrash, upbraid, whip |
| Notes: | chasten means to correct by punishment, to take to task - to restrain or subdue; chastise means to punish, as by beating or to criticize severely |
| Antonyms: | cheer, comfort, compliment, encourage, forgive, inspirit, promote |
| Main Entry: | chide |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize, lecture |
| Synonyms: | admonish, berate, blame, call down, call on the carpet, castigate, censure, check, condemn, exprobate, find fault, flay, give a hard time, lesson, monish, rate, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, scold, slap on the wrist, speak to, take down a peg, take down, talk to, tell off, tick off, upbraid |
| Antonyms: | compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | condemn |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | blame, convict |
| Synonyms: | adjudge, belittle, blow whistle on, call down, castigate, censure, chide, come down on, criticize, damn, decry, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, depreciate, disapprove, disparage, doom, find fault with, find guilty, frame, hang something on, judge, knock, lay at one's door, let have it, name, pass sentence on, pin it on, point finger at, pronounce, proscribe, punish, put away, put down, reprehend, reproach, reprobate, reprove, send up, send up the river, sentence, skin, thumbs down on, upbraid |
| Antonyms: | absolve, acquit, approve, clear, discharge, exonerate, free, pardon, release, set free |