Well-read · Humour & insults · Politics & society
Pillory: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Pillory verb. To mock or criticise someone harshly and publicly.
How to say it
PIL-uh-ree/ˈpɪləri/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (PIL). Forms: pilloried.
Pillory in a sentence
The chef was pilloried online for charging £9 for a slice of toast.
Satirists have pilloried the scheme since the day it was announced.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- ridicule
- lambast
- mock
- denounce
Opposite:
- praise
- laud
Where pillory comes from
From the pillory, a wooden frame in which offenders were locked in public to be jeered at.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Satirists have _____ the scheme since the day it was announced.
- pillory
- osculate
- lampoon
Show the answer
pillory: Satirists have pilloried the scheme since the day it was announced.