criticizecrit‧i‧cize (also criticise British English) /ˈkrɪtɪsaɪz/ ●●● W3 verb 
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] formal 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/something· Public 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 criticized· The proposal was widely criticized.publicly criticize somebody/something· The 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 criticize· The fashion industry is frequently criticized for presenting extremely thin models as beautiful.phrasesbe quick to criticize somebody/something· Some 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 something: · He 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 this: · The 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 etc: · They 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 them: · He 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 weak: · The prosecution will tear him to shreds.pan to strongly criticize a film, play etc in the newspapers, on TV etc: · Her 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 etc: · He 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 wrong: · Politicians 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 things: · He’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 unfair: · Why are you always picking holes in my work?knock to criticize someone or something, in an unfair and unreasonable way: · I 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 way: · He’s always slagging you off behind your back.
VERB TABLE
criticize
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | criticize |
| he, she, it | criticizes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | criticized |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have criticized |
| he, she, it | has criticized | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had criticized |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will criticize |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have criticized |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am criticizing |
| he, she, it | is criticizing | |
| you, we, they | are criticizing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was criticizing |
| you, we, they | were criticizing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been criticizing |
| he, she, it | has been criticizing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been criticizing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be criticizing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been criticizing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- I meet with several other artists and we criticize each other's work.
- It's easy to criticize, but managing a football team can be an extremely difficult job.
- Jackson declined to criticize his opponent, choosing instead to focus on his own message.
- People are always criticizing the Royal family, but I think they do a good job.
- Stop criticizing my driving!
- The President criticized the proposal as expensive and impractical.
- The United Nations was criticized for failing to react sooner to the crisis.
- In this chapter, the inductivist account of science will be criticized by casting doubt on the third of these assumptions.
- It was not undertaken to support, refute or criticize contemporary urban and regional theory.
- Moreover, the students are culturally expected to criticize not only the university itself but the entire society.
- She would never have thought of criticizing his hardness.
- The question is not just whether it criticizes the Conservative Party but when it criticizes the Conservative Party.
- Though his subsequent report did not directly criticize Campbell, it did attack the overall structure of the police and judiciary.
THESAURUS
to say what you think is bad about someone or something: · He 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.
to criticize someone or something, especially by giving detailed reasons for this: · The report was highly critical of the police investigation.· The press have been critical of his leadership style.
to criticize someone or something very strongly, especially publicly in the newspapers, on TV etc: · They attacked the government’s decision to undertake nuclear weapons tests.
to criticize someone very strongly for something they have done, especially by shouting at them: · He started laying into one of his staff for being late.
to find a lot of things wrong with someone’s arguments or ideas and make them seem very weak: · The prosecution will tear him to shreds.
to strongly criticize a film, play etc in the newspapers, on TV etc: · Her first movie was panned by the critics.
especially written to be strongly criticized by a lot of people in the newspapers, on TV etc: · He was pilloried in the right-wing press.
to say very strongly in public that you do not approve of something or someone, especially because you think they are morally wrong: · Politicians were quick to condemn the bombing.
to criticize unfairly to criticize things that you think are wrong with something, especially small and unimportant things: · He’s quick to find fault with other people’s work.
informal to criticize something by finding many small faults in it, in a way that seems unreasonable and unfair: · Why are you always picking holes in my work?
to criticize someone or something, in an unfair and unreasonable way: · I know it’s fashionable to knock Tony Blair, but I think he did a good job.
British English informal to criticize someone in an unfair and unpleasant way: · He’s always slagging you off behind your back.
Longman Language Activatorto say what you think is bad about someone or something also criticise British · Stop criticizing my driving!· People are always criticizing the Royal family, but I think they do a good job.· Jackson declined to criticize his opponent, choosing instead to focus on his own message.· It's easy to criticize, but managing a football team can be an extremely difficult job.criticize somebody for doing something · The United Nations was criticized for failing to react sooner to the crisis.criticize somebody/something as · The President criticized the proposal as expensive and impractical.
to strongly criticize a plan, system, or way of doing something, especially when you give detailed reasons why you think it is wrong: · Don't be so critical - we're doing our best.be critical of: · Miller was critical of the way the company was managed.be highly critical (=very critical): · Environmental groups were highly critical of the government's new transportation policy.
if someone is a critic of the government, a person in authority etc, they regularly and publicly criticize them: · She is one of the most well-known critics of the American private school system.be an outspoken critic of somebody/something (=not afraid to critize strongly and publicly): · He is regarded as one of Congress's most outspoken critics of television violence.be somebody's greatest/biggest etc critic (=criticize them more than anyone else does): · Mr Levy has established a reputation as the committee's biggest, most vehement critic.
to strongly criticize someone or something to strongly and publicly criticize a person, plan, or belief that you completely disagree with: · Several actors have attacked proposals to cut the theatre's budget.attack somebody for (doing) something: · Union leaders attacked management for eliminating employee health benefits.
to criticize someone or something very strongly in a public statement -- used especially in newspapers: · Sullivan never misses a chance to slam the tobacco industry.slam somebody for doing something: · Police slammed drivers for ignoring safety warnings.
to strongly criticize something such as a film, play, or a performance by writing about it in a newspaper, talking about it on television etc: · The movie was panned by all the critics.
to find a lot of faults in someone's ideas or arguments and criticize them very severely: · After the prosecutor had presented his case, the defence lawyer tore his arguments to shreds.
if someone is pilloried , they are criticized very strongly and publicly by a lot of people: · Harper was pilloried in the press after his team's sixth consecutive defeat.· Middleton suffered the ultimate humiliation of being pilloried by his colleagues in front of the television cameras.
informal to criticize every part of someone's character or work: · Field did a complete hatchet job on his former colleague at a cabinet meeting last week.
informal to criticize someone very strongly for something they have done: · The teacher really laid into us this morning -- told us we'd all fail if we didn't start doing some work.lay into about: · You should have heard my wife laying into me about coming home late last night.
to be criticized · The unions came in for strong criticism from the government after the strike.· Caro came in for a lot of criticism for his biography of the late president.
to be severely criticized, especially in public: · Banks are under attack for their refusal to reduce interest rates on loans to small businesses.come under attack/fire: · His theories came under attack from other scientists.· The police department has come under fire for the recent rise in violent crime.
informal to be criticized a lot for something: · Ferguson's been getting a lot of flak for the team's poor performance recently.· The immigration department is taking a lot of political flak for not moving faster to help the refugees.
if someone or something is open to criticism , there are good reasons for criticizing them: · The general is open to criticism for his handling of the war.· Current reforms in the legal system may be open to criticism if they appear to be undemocratic.
British /be on the firing line American to be the person who is most likely to be criticized for something, even if you are not the only person who is responsible for it: · As head of the police department, Hall is constantly on the firing line.· When you're in the firing line, it's tempting to avoid making difficult decisions.
an organization, person in authority etc that is criticized, especially by a lot of people: target of: · Kay was the target of a noisy demonstration in which 54 people were arrested.target for: · The Communist Party has become the main target for critical attack among left-wing intellectuals.
to criticize someone or something unfairly to criticize things that are wrong with someone or something, especially small and unimportant things: · No-one enjoys working for a boss who always finds fault with their work.find fault with somebody for something: · The report found fault with the police department for its handling of the case.
especially British, informal to criticize small details in someone's ideas or plans - use this about someone who seems to be deliberately looking for problems and mistakes: · As soon as she stopped talking, Janet's colleagues began to pick holes in the idea.
to criticize someone, their work, or their performance in an unfair and annoying way: · It's hard to knock Gordon because he always works so hard.· Critics knocked his latest film for its portrayal of women.don't knock it!: · Hey, don't knock it! It's the only suit I've got!
to make someone feel unimportant or stupid especially by criticizing them in public: put down somebody: · Television programs always seem to put down people from the South.put somebody down: · She enjoys putting me down in front of other people.
British informal to criticize someone, especially in a nasty and unfair way: slag off somebody: · She spent the whole evening slagging off her ex-boyfriend.slag somebody off: · When the team isn't winning everyone starts slagging them off.
informal to make nasty remarks about someone when that person is not there: · People in our office are always bitching about each other.
informal to keep criticizing someone by making remarks about their behaviour or habits, especially in an unkind or annoying way: · I try not to take it personally -- he gets at everyone on the team.get at about: · My mother keeps getting at me about the state of my room.
informal the annoying habit of criticizing someone about unimportant details, especially in someone's work: · I've had enough of your constant nit-picking. Why can't you say something encouraging?
something you say or write in order to criticize what you say or write when you criticize someone or something: · Bill's very sensitive to any kind of criticism.criticism of: · The report makes many criticisms of the nation's prison system.severe/strong criticism: · The government faces severe criticism for its slow response to the disaster.come in for criticism (=be criticized): · Taylor has come in for a lot of criticism for his part in the affair.
a statement that criticizes someone publicly, especially in politics or business: attack on: · O'Brien promised to continue his attacks on the film industry.come under attack from somebody (=be criticized by someone): · Once again the oil companies have come under attack from environmentalists.launch an attack on somebody/something: · France launched a bitter attack on EU proposals to reduce farm subsidies.
unfair criticism that reduces the good opinion that people have about someone: · Your accusation of bribe-taking is a slur which I shall never forgive.
spoken informal something that someone says to someone, especially when other people are there, that criticizes them and makes them feel stupid or unimportant: · She was a master of the sarcastic put-down.· I didn't mean it as a put-down but I could tell from her response that she took my criticism personally.
intended to criticize someone or something a critical statement, report, or description criticizes someone or something: · Critical remarks by a teacher can damage the confidence of children.highly critical (=very critical): · The government has just published a highly critical report on the state of the education system.
criticizing someone or something very strongly, because you think they are completely wrong or of very low quality: scathing attack/comments/report etc: · Her new book is a scathing attack on American imperialism in Central America.· The health department issued a scathing report on conditions in local hospitals.scathing about: · 'The New York Times' was particularly scathing about his performance.
a negative comment, report etc is intended to criticize someone or something, especially in a way that is unnecessary or unfair; a negative person has a tendency to criticize or complain about everything, especially when this is annoying or unfair: · The portrayal of working women in the media tends to be very negative.· You shouldn't let his negative comments get you down - he doesn't know what he's talking about.· I wish you'd stop being so negative all the time!
someone who criticizes someone who criticizes someone or something especially in public: · The Prime Minister answered his critics in a televised speech.critic of: · Daley accused critics of the city's Police Department of lying.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadverbs The report was heavily criticized in the press.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
· Public transport has been severely criticized in the report.
(=in an angry way)· His attorney sharply criticized the police yesterday.
· The proposal was widely criticized.
· The head coach publicly criticized the referee’s decision.
(=strongly and severely)· Their research has been roundly criticized.
(=in a public and direct way)· They openly criticized the government’s handling of the crisis.
· The fashion industry is frequently criticized for presenting extremely thin models as beautiful.
phrases· Some groups were quick to criticize the president.
(=for the reason that)· The survey was criticized on the grounds that the sample was too small.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The report was heavily criticized in the press.· Former Prime Minister Jan Olszewski was also criticized.· Bennett also criticized Gingrich for his handling of a controversy surrounding Jackson and Rep.· The opposition parties had also criticized other aspects of the electoral law.· Norton also criticized the control board for studying whether the city should put a city manager at the helm.· The report also criticizes Nirex for seeking to rush through its proposals without proper public consultation and expert examination.· He was also criticized for employing a staff member who made inappropriate comments about a committee witness's religion.· It also criticized the electricity companies for failing to take the lead in developing alternative energy sources.· Also criticized was the second woman who claimed Albert assaulted her.
· It is important to note that for a variety of reasons clauses of this kind have been heavily criticized.· Bozeman was heavily criticized for replacing Campanelli.· The larger estates were heavily criticized for absent or late provision of social and community facilities.
· That neutrality is often criticized as hypocritical: all manner of metaphysical conclusions-as above-are usually taken as gospel.
· Two senior investigators into Stasi connections were dismissed in early March after publicly criticizing the government's exoneration of De Maizière.· Can a teacher be dismissed for publicly criticizing school policy?· Trovoada had been under increasing popular pressure to take action against Daio after the latter publicly criticized him on April 3.· Can teachers be disciplined for publicly criticizing their immediate superiors?· Miller resigned abruptly after Hallinan publicly criticized her for failing to report the incident to him in a timely manner.· But he had been on the bad side of the government lately, having publicly criticized it for censoring authors.
· Pena was roundly criticized by senators who lectured him about public grandstanding and insufficient attention to safety concerns.· The slickly produced pamphlet listed numerous general goals but offered little in the way of specifics and has been roundly criticized.
· In 1972 he had suggested independence as Ulster's best course and been severely criticized by Paisley and others.· As the war dragged on with little success, he was severely criticized.
· The planting has been sharply criticized by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds because of the effect on local bird life.· Yet the president is sharply criticized for convening a national forum to discuss our racial divisions.· The change has been sharply criticized by environmentalists.· Reno has been criticized sharply by congressional Republicans for her failure to name an independent counsel.· Matiukhin sharply criticized Gaidar's team and expressed disagreement with the government's budget commission.· In the morning, he sharply criticized Jones for maverick marketing policies and accused him of trying to tear down the league.· E was later sharply criticized by the Public Utilities Commission and politicians such as state Sen.
· This part of the Act has been strongly criticized and to some extent misused for a minority of very difficult cases.· Former president Nixon strongly criticized Bush for failing to respond to the crisis in the republics with a massive aid program.· Weber strongly criticized Marx's attempt to explain all social cleavages as the product of economically based class structures and struggles.· It had also been strongly criticized by the tobacco industry.· Parsons has been strongly criticized on all these points.· Social services departments were strongly criticized in the 1980s for not taking more effective action to protect children at risk.· It was strongly criticized by a majority of the Congress and by both business and the trade unions.· In the 1960s and 1970s, psychologists strongly criticized the discipline's predominantly middle-class constitution.
· The target has been widely criticized as too low.· This money is not usually distributed on a truly competitive basis, a process that is widely criticized.· Judge McKinnon had been widely criticized for comments made during his hearing of a case of inciting racial hatred.· The King was also widely criticized for in effect putting his conscience above his role as head of state.· The budget was widely criticized as being unrealistic and irrelevant to the real needs of the eastern economy.
NOUN· He also criticized the Blaize administration for the country's low credit rating.· He has praised gang-fighting efforts and criticized the Clinton administration for waging an inadequate fight against drugs.· When Republicans made a similar proposal in 1995, they were vigorously criticized by the administration.· Dole may receive some help from the national Republican Party, which is already planning to run ads criticizing Clinton administration policies.
· The next day Guo criticized the finance committee decision.· Endara criticized Arias's decision as political opportunism, claiming that he intended preparing his candidature for the 1994 presidential elections.· The Bush administration criticized the decision and threatened to use its veto powers.· Kuhn's position leaves us with no way of criticizing the decisions and mode of operating of the scientific community.
· The report also criticized the department for refusing to accept that new roads generate more traffic.
· The document has been criticized by environmentalists for merely offering suggestions and not setting out proposals for action.· The change has been sharply criticized by environmentalists.· The reductions have been criticized by environmentalists as not going far enough.· The thinking behind the report was criticized by environmentalists.
· Unlike most candidates calling for change or reform, Brown never had to forcefully criticize city government.· However, the Supreme Soviet criticized the government over its social protection measures.· Our purpose is not to criticize government, as so many have, but to renew it.· In authoritarian media systems, the media might be privately owned but have only limited freedom to criticize government.· In Doncaster over Christmas, I had been thinking constantly about criticizing the Government.
· For its part, Friends of the Earth criticized the lack of statutory recycling targets.· Inevitably the reality of photography was criticized for its lack of style.· The report criticizes a lack of co-ordination on sea defences.· He criticized Bevin for lack of imagination - surely an inverted compliment given its implication of positive contributions in the past.· They also criticized the evident lack of contingency plans to prevent or respond to accidents of this kind.· They criticized the lack of an automatic shut-off mechanism in the cooling system.· He has criticized the lack of internal democracy in the party, founded in 1990 by former Environment Minister Brice Lalonde.
· Alexander I.. Lebed took center stage to criticize the ailing leader and cast himself as heir apparent.
· Democrats have criticized the Republican Party for financing of the cable deal.· The question is not just whether it criticizes the Conservative Party but when it criticizes the Conservative Party.· Political balance can not be achieved by criticizing one party during the mid-term of a parliament and another at election time.
· Environmentalists have criticized the plan as naive.· George Pataki who criticized the reform plan for denying Medicaid benefits to legal immigrants who are not citizens.· Therefore it would be rash to pretend to criticize community care plans.· Several members of Congress have already criticized the plan.· They criticized his flat tax plan because it would tax wages but not investments.
· And some intellectuals have criticized official policy without suffering repercussions.· Can a teacher be dismissed for publicly criticizing school policy?· Can an underground newspaper be prohibited from criticizing school policies?· Dole may receive some help from the national Republican Party, which is already planning to run ads criticizing Clinton administration policies.
· They criticized the president for punishing both the innocent and the guilty and for exacting such harsh punishment.· Jesse Jackson have criticized the president for signing the welfare act.
· The next morning, Gandhi criticized the Sapru proposal.
· On receiving it you use this report to criticize the employee's work.· The result is that for sending in the report to criticize the employee's punished.· While based upon an extensive data base and significant historical research, this Rand report has been criticized as being too pessimistic.· Though his subsequent report did not directly criticize Campbell, it did attack the overall structure of the police and judiciary.· The current spate of reports on the schools criticizes parents for not involving themselves in the education of their children.· The report also criticized the department for refusing to accept that new roads generate more traffic.· The report also criticizes Nirex for seeking to rush through its proposals without proper public consultation and expert examination.
· MelAmid is a term used to criticize some one s capabilities or competence.
· Often he made them criticize each other's work.· But Brown, who spent more on travel than any of his predecessors, was also criticized for his overseas work.· On receiving it you use this report to criticize the employee's work.· I work very hard and put in long hours, but my direct supervisor is constantly criticizing my work.· What have I been criticized for at work?· In essence, if she criticizes your work, she is criticizing herself.· All that he could do was criticize the assembly's work from the outside.· The three members contributed regular essays, or else original compositions, and criticized one another's work at group meetings.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► criticize/nag/hassle somebody up one side and down the other
- And every year the report's findings are roundly condemned by Tory politicians for being excessively negative.
- Pena was roundly criticized by senators who lectured him about public grandstanding and insufficient attention to safety concerns.
- Such inequality was roundly condemned by the Old Testament prophets.
- The slickly produced pamphlet listed numerous general goals but offered little in the way of specifics and has been roundly criticized.
- Under normal circumstances that would be a thoroughly anti-democratic development, to be roundly condemned.
WORD FAMILYnouncriticcriticismadjectivecritical ≠ uncriticalverbcriticizeadverbcritically ≠ uncritically
1[intransitive, transitive] 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] formal 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/something· Public 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 criticized· The proposal was widely criticized.publicly criticize somebody/something· The 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 criticize· The fashion industry is frequently criticized for presenting extremely thin models as beautiful.phrasesbe quick to criticize somebody/something· Some 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 something: · He 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 this: · The 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 etc: · They 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 them: · He 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 weak: · The prosecution will tear him to shreds.pan to strongly criticize a film, play etc in the newspapers, on TV etc: · Her 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 etc: · He 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 wrong: · Politicians 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 things: · He’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 unfair: · Why are you always picking holes in my work?knock to criticize someone or something, in an unfair and unreasonable way: · I 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 way: · He’s always slagging you off behind your back.