| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | admonish | warn or scold firmly |
| 2. | arraign | call to account critically |
| 3. | assail | attack strongly with criticism |
| 4. | attack | speak against forcefully |
| 5. | bad-mouth | criticize or disparage informally |
| 6. | bash | attack verbally and harshly |
| 7. | bawl out | scold loudly |
| 8. | belittle | make seem unimportant |
| 9. | berate | scold angrily and at length |
| 10. | blacken | damage someone’s reputation |
| 11. | blame | hold responsible for fault |
| 12. | blast | criticize very harshly |
| 13. | carp at | complain about petty faults |
| 14. | castigate | criticize severely |
| 15. | censure | express strong official disapproval |
| 16. | chide | mildly scold or rebuke |
| 17. | clobber | criticize or defeat severely |
| 18. | complain about | express dissatisfaction with |
| 19. | condemn | strongly disapprove of something |
| 20. | cut down | criticize to diminish confidence |
| 21. | decry | publicly condemn or disparage |
| 22. | defame | damage someone’s reputation falsely |
| 23. | denigrate | unfairly criticize or disparage |
| 24. | denounce | publicly condemn or attack |
| 25. | deprecate | express disapproval or belittle |
| 26. | deride | mock with contempt |
| 27. | discredit | damage reputation through criticism |
| 28. | disparage | speak of as inferior |
| 29. | fault | find fault with something |
| 30. | faultfind | habitually find faults |
| 31. | find fault with | identify flaws in |
| 32. | flay | criticize with savage severity |
| 33. | fuss at | scold or complain to |
| 34. | give out to | scold someone informally |
| 35. | go after | attack with criticism |
| 36. | grouse about | complain informally |
| 37. | grumble about | complain in a low-key way |
| 38. | hammer | criticize repeatedly and harshly |
| 39. | harp on | repeat criticism tiresomely |
| 40. | heckle | interrupt with hostile criticism |
| 41. | impugn | challenge honesty or validity |
| 42. | knock | find fault with informally |
| 43. | lambaste | attack with harsh words |
| 44. | lampoon | mock with sharp criticism |
| 45. | lay into | attack verbally with force |
| 46. | lecture | scold with moral advice |
| 47. | libel | publish false damaging criticism |
| 48. | malign | speak harmful untruths about |
| 49. | maul | criticize severely in public |
| 50. | moan about | complain informally |
| 51. | nag | criticize repeatedly and annoyingly |
| 52. | needle | provoke with critical remarks |
| 53. | nitpick | criticize small details |
| 54. | pan | criticize severely, especially a work |
| 55. | pick apart | criticize details carefully |
| 56. | pick holes in | find faults in |
| 57. | pull apart | criticize in detail severely |
| 58. | put down | belittle or insult |
| 59. | quibble over | criticize minor details |
| 60. | rebuke | sharply express disapproval |
| 61. | reprimand | formally scold someone |
| 62. | reproach | express blame or disappointment |
| 63. | reprove | scold or correct disapprovingly |
| 64. | ridicule | mock contemptuously |
| 65. | rip | criticize harshly informally |
| 66. | roast | mock or criticize sharply |
| 67. | run down | disparage or criticize |
| 68. | satirize | ridicule to expose faults |
| 69. | savage | criticize with extreme harshness |
| 70. | scold | angrily rebuke someone |
| 71. | shred | criticize devastatingly |
| 72. | skewer | ridicule or criticize sharply |
| 73. | slam | criticize harshly and publicly |
| 74. | slander | make false damaging statements |
| 75. | smear | attack reputation unfairly |
| 76. | take apart | analyze and criticize severely |
| 77. | take issue with | disagree with critically |
| 78. | talk down | speak condescendingly to |
| 79. | tear apart | criticize very severely |
| 80. | tear down | destroy reputation through criticism |
| 81. | tear into | criticize angrily and forcefully |
| 82. | tell off | scold sharply |
| 83. | trash | criticize as worthless |
| 84. | upbraid | scold severely |
| 85. | vent about | complain angrily about |
| 86. | vilify | speak abusively about |
| 87. | vilipend | disparage or treat as worthless |
| 88. | vituperate | attack with harsh, abusive words |
| 89. | voice disapproval of | express criticism of |
| 90. | voice objections to | state criticism or opposition to |
| 91. | wag a finger at | criticize in a warning way |
| 92. | wallop | criticize harshly or forcefully |
| 93. | whack | criticize sharply and informally |
| 94. | whine about | complain petulantly |
| 95. | whinge about | complain peevishly about |
| 96. | whip | criticize or attack severely |
| 97. | work over | criticize harshly and thoroughly |
| 98. | write off | dismiss with criticism |
| 99. | zap | criticize sharply and suddenly |
| 100. | zing | criticize with a sharp remark |