Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense pillories, present participle pillorying, past tense, past participle pilloried
1. verb [usually passive]
If someone is pilloried, a lot of people, especially journalists, criticize them and make them look stupid.
A man has been forced to resign as a result of being pilloried by some of the press. [beVERB-ed]
Synonyms: ridicule, denounce, stigmatize, brand More Synonyms of pillory
2. countable noun
A pillory is a wooden frame with holes for the head and hands. In Europe in former times criminals were sometimes locked in a pillory as a form of punishment.
pillory in British English
(ˈpɪlərɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ries
1.
a wooden framework into which offenders were formerly locked by the neck and wrists and exposed to public abuse and ridicule
2.
exposure to public scorn or abuse
verbWord forms: -ries, -rying or -ried(transitive)
3.
to expose to public scorn or ridicule
4.
to punish by putting in a pillory
Word origin
C13: from Anglo-Latin pillorium, from Old French pilori, of uncertain origin; related to Provençal espillori
pillory in American English
(ˈpɪləri)
nounWord forms: pluralˈpillories
1.
a device consisting of a wooden board with holes for the head and hands, in which petty offenders were formerly locked and exposed to public scorn
2.
any exposure to public scorn, etc.
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈpilloried or ˈpillorying
3.
to punish by placing in a pillory
4.
to lay open to public ridicule, scorn, or abuse
Word origin
ME pilory < OFr pilori < ML pilorium < L pila, column + -orium, -ory
Examples of 'pillory' in a sentence
pillory
For years it was pilloried by environmental groups.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The offensive thing is that he has been so widely pilloried for doing so.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He has been widely pilloried for his observation that health spending will rise as a proportion of national income.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This time they were unfairly pilloried.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There was a time when these causes were considered outlandish, their champions mocked and pilloried.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
(verb)
Definition
to expose to public ridicule
He resigned after being pilloried by the press.
Synonyms
ridicule
denounce
stigmatize
They are often stigmatized by the rest of society as lazy and dirty.
brand
I was instantly branded as a rebel.
lash
The report lashes police commanders for failing to act on intelligence information.
show someone up
expose someone to ridicule
cast a slur on
heap or pour scorn on
hold someone up to shame
Additional synonyms
in the sense of brand
Definition
to label (someone)
I was instantly branded as a rebel.
Synonyms
stigmatize,
mark,
label,
expose,
denounce,
disgrace,
discredit,
censure,
pillory,
defame
in the sense of lash
Definition
to attack (someone) with words of ridicule or scolding
The report lashes police commanders for failing to act on intelligence information.
Synonyms
censure,
attack,
blast,
put down,
criticize,
slate (informal, British),
ridicule,
scold,
berate,
flame (informal),
castigate,
lampoon,
tear into (informal),
flay,
upbraid,
satirize,
lambast(e),
belabour
in the sense of stigmatize
Definition
to regard as being shameful
They are often stigmatized by the rest of society as lazy and dirty.