Criticize

//ˈkɹɪtɪsaɪz// verb

verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To find fault (with something). British, English, Oxford, US, ambitransitive

    "They criticized him for endangering people's lives."

  2. 2
    find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws wordnet
  3. 3
    To evaluate (something), assessing its merits and faults. British, English, Oxford, US, ambitransitive
  4. 4
    act as a critic wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
appraisecensureknockcensureaccuseadmonish

Example

More examples

"Don't take it amiss if I criticize your work."

Etymology

From critic + -ize; first element from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from κρίσις (krísis, “decision, judgement”).

Related phrases

find fault

More for "criticize"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.