Word family noun critic criticism adjective critical ≠ uncritical verb criticize adverb critically ≠ uncritically
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcriticizecrit‧i‧cize (also criticise British English) /ˈkrɪtɪsaɪz/ ●●● W3 verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]CRITICIZE to express your disapproval of someone or something, or to talk about their faults OPP praise Ron does nothing but criticize and complain all the time.be strongly/sharply/heavily criticized The decision has been strongly criticized by teachers. The new law has been widely criticized.criticize somebody/something for (doing) something He has been criticized for incompetence. Doctors have criticized the government for failing to invest enough in the health service.criticize somebody/something as something The report has been criticized as inaccurate and incomplete.2 [transitive] formalJUDGE to express judgments about the good and bad qualities of something We look at each other’s work and criticize it.COLLOCATIONSadverbsstrongly/severely/heavily criticize somebody/somethingPublic transport has been severely criticized in the report.sharply/harshly/fiercely criticize somebody/something (=in an angry way)His attorney sharply criticized the police yesterday.be widely criticizedThe proposal was widely criticized.publicly criticize somebody/somethingThe head coach publicly criticized the referee’s decision.roundly criticize somebody/something (=strongly and severely)Their research has been roundly criticized.openly criticize somebody/something (=in a public and direct way)They openly criticized the government’s handling of the crisis.repeatedly/frequently/constantly criticizeThe fashion industry is frequently criticized for presenting extremely thin models as beautiful.phrasesbe quick to criticize somebody/somethingSome groups were quick to criticize the president.criticize somebody/something on the grounds that (=for the reason that)The survey was criticized on the grounds that the sample was too small. THESAURUScriticize to say what you think is bad about someone or somethingHe was criticized for not being tough enough with the terrorists.Stop criticizing my friends!It’s easy to criticize, but not so easy to offer helpful solutions.be critical of somebody/something to criticize someone or something, especially by giving detailed reasons for thisThe report was highly critical of the police investigation.The press have been critical of his leadership style.attack to criticize someone or something very strongly, especially publicly in the newspapers, on TV etcThey attacked the government’s decision to undertake nuclear weapons tests.lay into somebody/tear into somebody to criticize someone very strongly for something they have done, especially by shouting at themHe started laying into one of his staff for being late.tear somebody/something to shreds to find a lot of things wrong with someone’s arguments or ideas and make them seem very weakThe prosecution will tear him to shreds.pan to strongly criticize a film, play etc in the newspapers, on TV etcHer first movie was panned by the critics.be pilloried especially written to be strongly criticized by a lot of people in the newspapers, on TV etcHe was pilloried in the right-wing press.condemn to say very strongly in public that you do not approve of something or someone, especially because you think they are morally wrongPoliticians were quick to condemn the bombing.to criticize unfairlyfind fault with somebody/something to criticize things that you think are wrong with something, especially small and unimportant thingsHe’s quick to find fault with other people’s work.pick holes in something informal to criticize something by finding many small faults in it, in a way that seems unreasonable and unfairWhy are you always picking holes in my work? knock to criticize someone or something, in an unfair and unreasonable wayI know it’s fashionable to knock Tony Blair, but I think he did a good job.slag off British English informal to criticize someone in an unfair and unpleasant wayHe’s always slagging you off behind your back. → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
criticize• It's easy to criticize, but managing a football team can be an extremely difficult job.• In this chapter, the inductivist account of science will be criticized by casting doubt on the third of these assumptions.• Though his subsequent report did not directly criticize Campbell, it did attack the overall structure of the police and judiciary.• It was not undertaken to support, refute or criticize contemporary urban and regional theory.• I meet with several other artists and we criticize each other's work.• The United Nations was criticized for failing to react sooner to the crisis.• She would never have thought of criticizing his hardness.• Jackson declined to criticize his opponent, choosing instead to focus on his own message.• Stop criticizing my driving!• Moreover, the students are culturally expected to criticize not only the university itself but the entire society.• The question is not just whether it criticizes the Conservative Party but when it criticizes the Conservative Party.• The President criticized the proposal as expensive and impractical.• People are always criticizing the Royal family, but I think they do a good job.be strongly/sharply/heavily criticized• It was strongly criticized by a majority of the Congress and by both business and the trade unions.• The larger estates were heavily criticized for absent or late provision of social and community facilities.• Yet the president is sharply criticized for convening a national forum to discuss our racial divisions.• Bozeman was heavily criticized for replacing Campanelli.• Social services departments were strongly criticized in the 1980s for not taking more effective action to protect children at risk. 