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Meaning of criticism in English
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- Her lack of interest in the project has provoked sharp criticism from colleagues .
- You must learn not to overreact to criticism.
- The government is currently facing severe criticism.
- I think he felt discouraged because of all the criticism he'd received .
- His report contained serious criticisms of the finance director and of the entire board of management .
- anathematize
- animadversion
- opprobrious
- peanut gallery
- people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones idiom
- personalization
- personalize
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criticism | Intermediate English
Examples of criticism, collocations with criticism.
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OTHER WORDS FOR criticism
Origin of criticism, synonym study for criticism, other words from criticism, words that may be confused with criticism, words related to criticism, how to use criticism in a sentence.
The comedian responded to the deadly attack on a French satirical magazine by renewing his recent criticism s of the Islamic faith.
What criticism s of last season did you find helpful, and not so helpful?
There are legitimate criticism s of the study, but not because it includes “attempted forced kissing,” as Lowry suggested.
There are a lot of specific criticism s of the culture of the “24-hour news cycle” and “social media” I would agree with.
The president is right in his criticism s, but wrong to reserve them only for the Republican Party.
This habit and the fact that she cares more for color than for drawing are the usual criticism s of her pictures.
Herr W., the owner of the piano, was a remarkable judge of music, and made some excellent criticism s and suggestions.
It was a daring thing on my part and I am sure many a reader of the paper must have smiled at my criticism s.
Moreover, he held strong views on men and movements, and his criticism s told of a man of more than ordinary intellectual acumen.
An author ought to receive with the same moderation all praises and all criticism s on his productions.
British Dictionary definitions for criticism

Look up a word, learn it forever.
If you dye your hair bright blue, you're likely to get some criticism from people who just don't understand your personal style. When you're on the receiving end of criticism , you are being judged in a disapproving way.
The noun criticism is most often used to describe negative commentary about something or someone, but it's just as correct to use criticism to mean "an examination or judgment." Critics who review books and movies consider their reviews to be criticism, whether they're positive or negative. So the criticism you receive doesn't have to be all about your faults; it can actually be a pleasant experience.
- noun a serious examination and judgment of something “constructive criticism is always appreciated” synonyms: critique see more see less types: examen a critical study (as of a writer's work) knock , roast negative criticism self-criticism criticism of yourself type of: critical analysis , critical appraisal an appraisal based on careful analytical evaluation
- noun a written evaluation of a work of literature synonyms: literary criticism see more see less types: show 11 types... hide 11 types... explication de texte a method of literary criticism that analyzes details of a text in order to reveal its structure and meaning textual criticism comparison of a particular text with related materials in order to establish authenticity new criticism literary criticism based on close analysis of the text analysis a form of literary criticism in which the structure of a piece of writing is analyzed critical review , critique , review , review article an essay or article that gives a critical evaluation (as of a book or play) higher criticism the scientific study of biblical writings to determine their origin and meaning lower criticism the study of existing manuscripts of the Scriptures in order to determine the original text Masora , Masorah a vast body of textual criticism of the Hebrew Scriptures including notes on features of writing and on the occurrence of certain words and on variant sources and instructions for pronunciation and other comments that were written between AD 600 and 900 by Jewish scribes in the margins or at the end of texts book review a critical review of a book (usually a recently published book) notice a short critical review rave an extravagantly enthusiastic review type of: piece of writing , writing , written material the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect)
- noun disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings “the senator received severe criticism from his opponent” synonyms: unfavorable judgment see more see less types: show 20 types... hide 20 types... attack strong criticism brickbat blunt criticism carping , faultfinding persistent petty and unjustified criticism attack , blast , fire , flack , flak intense adverse criticism thrust verbal criticism potshot criticism aimed at an easy target and made without careful consideration rebuke , reprehension , reprimand , reproof , reproval an act or expression of criticism and censure slating a severely critical attack static angry criticism stricture severe criticism aspersion , calumny , defamation , denigration , slander an abusive attack on a person's character or good name riot act a vigorous reprimand chiding , objurgation , scolding , tongue-lashing rebuking a person harshly what for a strong reprimand bawling out , castigation , chewing out , dressing down , earful , going-over , upbraiding a severe scolding berating , blowing up a severe rebuke reproach a mild rebuke or criticism lecture , speech , talking to a lengthy rebuke chastening , chastisement , correction a rebuke for making a mistake admonishment , admonition , monition a firm rebuke type of: disapproval the expression of disapproval
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- criticism (noun)
- self–criticism (noun)
- There was much public criticism directed/leveled at the senator.
- The new law attracted/drew widespread criticism . [=many people criticized the new law]
- In this job you need to be able to take/face/accept criticism .
- I asked my sister for some constructive criticism of my essay before I tried to revise it.
- I had one minor criticism about her design.
- literary criticism
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crit·i·cism
Crit•i•cism.
See Also: CRITICISM, LITERARY AND DRAMATIC
- (They were) as critical as a fan-club —William McIlvanney
Soutar was speaking specifically about poor business in his field of soft cover book distribution.
- Criticism is like champagne: nothing more execrable if bad, nothing more excellent if good —Charles Caleb Colton
- Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots —Frank A. Clark, Reader’s Digest, September, 1971
- Criticizing, like charity, should begin at home —B. C. Forbes
- Impersonal criticism is like an impersonal fist fight, or an impersonal marriage, and as successful —George Jean Nathan
- Like people rummaging in boxes for a knife, everyone searched deep in his memory for a grievance —Marguerite Yourcenar
See Also: SLOWNESS
- Muttering thin complaints like little children called from play —James Crumley
- Rattling off her woes like mea culpas —Rita Mae Brown
- Safe from criticsm as a stutter or a squint —Henry James
See Also: VOICES, HARSH
- Shot grievances like beads across an abacus —Cynthia Ozick
- Sounded like a cranky old man who needs a stray Airedale to kick — New York Times editorial criticizing New York Mayor Edward Koch for his remark about the Soviet government’s arrest of an American journalist, September 17, 1986
- Squeaking like little pigs coming out of the barn door —Congressman Dale Lotta (Ohio), April 9, 1987
(See also FAULTFINDING .)
blue-pencil To delete or excise, alter or abridge; to mark for correction or improvement. Used of written matter exclusively, blue-pencil derives from the blue pencil used by many editors to make manuscript changes and comments.
damn with faint praise To praise in such restrained or indifferent terms as to render the praise worthless; to condemn by using words which, at best, express mediocrity. Its first use was probably by Alexander Pope in his 1735 Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot:
Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer.
peanut gallery See INSIGNIFICANCE .
pot shot A random, offhand criticism or condemnation; a censorious remark shot from the hip, lacking forethought and direction. Webster’s Third cites C. H. Page’s reference to
subjects which require serious discussion, not verbal potshots.
Pot shot originally referred to the indiscriminate, haphazard nature of shots taken at game with the simple intention of providing a meal, i.e., filling the pot. By transference, the term acquired the sense of a shot taken at a defenseless person or thing at close range from an advantageous position.
slings and arrows Barbed attacks, stinging criticism; any suffering or affliction, usually intentionally directed or inflicted. The words come from the famous soliloquy in which Hamlet contemplates suicide:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. (III, i)
As commonly used, the expression often retains the suffer of the original phrase, but usually completes the thought by substituting another object for outrageous fortune , as in the following:
En route to the United States the enterprise has suffered the slings and arrows of detractors as diverse as George Meany and Joseph Papp. (Roland Gelatt, in Saturday Review , February, 1979)
stop-watch critic A hidebound formalist, whose focus is so riveted on traditional criteria or irrelevant minutiae that he fails to attend to or even see the true and total object of his concern. Laurence Sterne gave us the term in Tristram Shandy .
“And how did Garrick speak the soliloquy last night?” “Oh, against all the rule, my lord, most ungrammatically. Betwixt the substantive and the adjective, which should agree together in number, case, and gender, he made a breach, thus—stopping as if the point wanted settling; and betwixt the nominative case, which, your lordship knows, should govern the verb, he suspended his voice in the epilogue a dozen times, three seconds and three-fifths by a stop-watch, my lord, each time.”
“Admirable grammarian! But in suspending his voice was the sense suspended likewise? Did no expression of attitude or countenance fill up the chasm? Was the eye silent? Did you narrowly look?” “I looked only at the stop-watch, my lord.” “Excellent observer!”
- admonishingly
- admonishment
- animadversion
- Aristotelian criticism
- chorizontist
- critical node
- critical occupational specialty
- critical path
- critical path analysis
- critical period
- Critical philosophy
- critical point
- critical pressure
- critical region
- critical review
- critical safety item
- critical speed
- critical state
- critical supplies and materiel
- critical sustainability item
- critical temperature
- critical theory
- critical volume
- criticality
- criticalness
- criticaster
- Criticisable
- Criticism, Dramatic and Literary
- critter sitter
- Croagh Patrick
- Croato-Serb
- Crocanthemum canadense
- Critically Endangered
- Critically Factor
- Critically Out of Position
- Critically Reflexive Action Research
- Critically Sensitive
- Criticare Systems, Inc
- criticasters
- criticisers
- criticising
- criticisingly
- Criticism and Self-Criticism
- Criticism Is the Only Known Antidote to Error
- Criticism of George W. Bush
- Criticism of Mother Teresa
- Criticism of Qi gong
- Criticism of Rolling Stone Magazine
- Criticism of the Fed
- Criticism of the Federal Reserve
- Criticism of the marketplace of ideas theory
- Criticism of Upanishads
- criticism sandwich
- criticism sandwich, a
- criticism sandwiches
- Criticism, Morbid Fear of
- Criticisms of bullfighting
- Criticisms of Jacques Lacan
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criticism Definitions and Synonyms
He finds criticism of his team ’s performance hard to take.
It’s not unusual for politicians to attract criticism.
Plans for the new road have drawn fierce criticism from local people .
We always welcome constructive criticism.
The report contains many valid criticisms of the current system.
literary criticism
American definition and synonyms of criticism from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.
This is the American English definition of criticism . View British English definition of criticism .
Change your default dictionary to British English.
View the pronunciation for criticism .
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The meaning of CRITICISM is the act of criticizing usually unfavorably. How to use criticism in a sentence.
criticism | Intermediate English ... an opinion given about something or someone, esp. a negative opinion, or the activity of making such judgments: [ C ] It was
Criticism is the construction of a judgement about the negative qualities of someone or something. Criticism can range from impromptu comments to a written
criticism · the act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything. · the act of passing severe judgment; censure; faultfinding. · the act or art of analyzing
Criticism definition, the act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything. See more.
Criticism is the action of expressing disapproval of something or someone. A criticism is a statement that expresses disapproval. This policy had repeatedly
The noun criticism is most often used to describe negative commentary about something or someone, but it's just as correct to use criticism to mean "an
CRITICISM meaning: 1 : the act of expressing disapproval and of noting the problems or faults of a person or thing the act of criticizing someone or
crit·i·cism · 1. The act of criticizing, especially adversely. · 2. A critical comment or judgment. · 3. a. The practice of analyzing, classifying, interpreting
Definition of CRITICISM (noun): bad opinions about something; giving opinion about books, films etc.