| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | find fault with |
| Synonyms: | abuse, admonish, blame, call down, call to task, cavil, censure, chide, condemn, criticize, defame, discredit, disparage, give comeuppance, give the devil, jawbone, lay on, lesson, rake, ream, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reprove, scold, sit on, take to task, trim, upbraid |
| Antonyms: | approve, praise |
| 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: | blame |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | accuse; place responsibility |
| Synonyms: | admonish, ascribe, attribute, blast, blow the whistle on, censure, charge, chide, climb all over, condemn, criticize, denounce, denunciate, disapprove, express disapprobation, find fault with, finger*, frame, hold responsible, impute, indict, jump all over, jump down one's throat, knock*, lay a bad trip on, lay at one's door, lay to, let one have it, lower the boom, pass the buck, point the finger, rap, rebuke, reprehend, reproach, reprove, roast, saddle, skin*, stick it to, tax, upbraid |
| Antonyms: | applaud, commend, exalt, exculpate, exonerate, praise, thank |
| Main Entry: | carp |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | nag |
| Synonyms: | bother, cavil, censure, complain, criticize, find fault, fuss, grumble, hypercriticize, knock, nitpick, objurgate, pan, peck, pick at, quibble, reproach |
| Antonyms: | ignore, let go |
| 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: | charge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | accuse |
| Synonyms: | arraign, blame, blow the whistle on, censure, criminate, drag into court, finger*, hang something on, impeach, impugn, impute, incriminate, inculpate, indict, involve, peg, point the finger at, reprehend, reproach, tax, turn on, whistle-blow |
| Antonyms: | exculpate, exonerate, free |
| 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: | 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: | 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 |