Severe, strict, harsh. to be sharp upon: to be hard or severe upon (now only, by way of censure or criticism).

To attack or censure bitingly or bitterly.

transitive. figurative. To make sore, wound. Also, in modern use, to subject to merciless criticism.

figurative. To buffet or ‘thrash’ (a person) in writing; to criticize destructively and unsparingly.

transitive. To subject (someone or something) to damaging criticism, to criticize ruthlessly.

To rebuke or assail cuttingly; to criticize severely or mercilessly. Also absol.

transitive. To strike or beat, to deliver blows in quick succession upon, as in pugilism. to fib about: to knock about. Also absol. or intransitive.

to be severe on (or upon): to pass harsh or sarcastic judgement on, ‘to be hard upon’.

transitive. To cut off the scalp of (a person): chiefly said of the North American Indians.

transitive. to pull to (or in) pieces: to separate the parts of by force; to take or rip apart; to destroy, demolish; (figurative) to criticize…

transitive. colloquial. To severely ridicule, reprimand, or interrogate (a person); to criticize or denounce. Also (Scottish (central)): to pester…

figurative. To censure, criticize, or review with destructive severity.

figurative and in figurative contexts. Cf. tomahawk, n. 3. transitive. To criticize, ridicule, or attack (a person or thing) savagely or mercilessly…

to blow sky-high. To refute, discredit, or disprove (an opinion, theory, etc.). Cf. explode, v. 3.

transitive. To criticize sharply or severely. Obsolete.

spec. To upbraid scathingly, decry, revile. Also absol. Cf. earlier excoriating adj. at additions.

figurative. To punish, chastise, correct (often said of God, with reference to Hebrews xii. 6); to ‘lash’ with satire or invective; to afflict…

To use (a person) as a target. Also figurative.

To criticize (a book or author) severely; to castigate, cut up.

figurative. To sear or ‘wither’ with fierce invective or satire. Cf. scathing, adj.

transitive. To beat or thrash severely; to subject to severe or brutal criticism; to demolish (literal and figurative).

colloquial or slang. U.S. slang. To punish, beat, pummel, strike hard, etc.; to criticize harshly, to ‘knock’; to soak it to (one) = to sock it to at…

transitive. colloquial (originally U.S.). To criticize severely; to express disapproval of; to judge (a performance, etc.) to be unsuccessful or…

transitive. U.S. slang. To criticize, reprimand, or berate (someone). Also: to insult (a person) in a particularly cutting or scathing manner.

transitive. To criticize severely. colloquial (originally U.S.).

To fell with a blow from a sandbag. Also figurative, to bully or coerce; to criticize or lambaste.

U.S. colloquial. to put the blast on (someone) (later also to put (someone) on blast): to criticize or reprimand (someone) severely; to rebuke…

to tear down: to punish; to criticize severely. U.S. colloquial.

To hit; to thrash or ‘beat up’; to defeat, shoot down; to reprimand or criticize severely.

transitive. Esp. of a woman: to batter or assault with a handbag. Chiefly figurative: to subject to a forthright verbal assault or strident…

transitive. colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S. Sport). = to rip into—— at phrasal verbs 2.

colloquial (originally Australian). transitive. To criticize harshly or savagely; to defame, disparage.