Library / English Dictionary

CRUCIFY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: crucified   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Criticize harshly or violently

Example:

The critics crucified the author for plagiarizing a famous passage

Synonyms:

blast; crucify; pillory; savage

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "crucify" is one way to...):

criticise; criticize; knock; pick apart (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Hold within limits and control

Example:

mortify the flesh

Synonyms:

crucify; mortify; subdue

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "crucify" is one way to...):

check; contain; control; curb; hold; hold in; moderate (lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits)

"Crucify" entails doing...:

abstain; desist; refrain (choose not to consume)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "crucify"):

mortify (practice self-denial of one's body and appetites)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Treat cruelly

Example:

The children tormented the stuttering teacher

Synonyms:

bedevil; crucify; dun; frustrate; rag; torment

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "crucify" is one way to...):

beset; chevvy; chevy; chivvy; chivy; harass; harry; hassle; molest; plague; provoke (annoy continually or chronically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "crucify"):

madden (drive up the wall; go on someone's nerves)

hamstring (make ineffective or powerless)

badger; beleaguer; bug; pester; tease (annoy persistently)

oppress; persecute (cause to suffer)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

crucifixion (the infliction of extremely painful punishment or suffering)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Kill by nailing onto a cross

Example:

Jesus Christ was crucified

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "crucify" is one way to...):

execute; put to death (kill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to crucify the prisoners

Derivation:

crucifix (representation of the cross on which Jesus died)

crucifixion (the act of executing by a method widespread in the ancient world; the victim's hands and feet are bound or nailed to a cross)

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