| Main Entry: | come down on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize strongly |
Synonyms: |
attack, dress down, jump on, land on, rebuke, reprimand, scold |
Antonyms: |
compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | assault |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack |
Synonyms: |
abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on, go for, haul off on, invade, jump, jump down one's throat, jump on one's case, lay into, let have it, light into, rape, ruin, set upon, shoot down, slam, slap around, storm, strike, trash, violate, work over, zap |
| Notes: | to assail a task is to approach it with the intent of mastering it, from Latin salire 'to leap'; assault is also based on this word and assail and assault can be synonyms assault is an attempt or threat to do physical harm while battery is unjustified application of force; assault and battery is carrying out of threatened physical harm or violence |
| Main Entry: | castigate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize severely |
Synonyms: |
baste, bawl out, beat, berate, blister, cane, censure, chasten, chastise, chew out, come down on, correct, criticize, discipline, drag over the coals, dress down, drub, excoriate, flay, flog, jump down one's throat, lambaste, lash, lay out, lean on, penalize, pummel, punish, rail, rate, read the riot act, ream, rebuke, reprimand, scarify, scathe, scold, scorch, scourge, thrash, tongue-lash, upbraid, whip |
Antonyms: |
compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | condemn |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | blame, convict |
Synonyms: |
adjudge, belittle, blow whistle on, call down, castigate, censure, chide, come down on, criticize, damn, decry, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, depreciate, disapprove, disparage, doom, find fault with, find guilty, frame, hang something on, judge, knock, lay at one's door, let have it, name, pass sentence on, pin it on, point finger at, pronounce, proscribe, punish, put away, put down, reprehend, reproach, reprobate, reprove, send up, send up the river, sentence, skin, thumbs down on, upbraid |
Antonyms: |
absolve, acquit, approve, clear, discharge, exonerate, free, pardon, release, set free |
| Main Entry: | criticize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disapprove, judge as bad |
Synonyms: |
animadvert on, bash, blame, blast, blister, carp, castigate, censure, chastise, chide, clobber, come down on, condemn, cut down, cut to bits, cut up, denounce, denunciate, disparage, do a number on, dress down, excoriate, find fault, fluff, fulminate against, fustigate, give bad press, hit, jump on, knock*, lambaste*, nag at, nit-pick, pan, pick at, rap, reprehend, reprimand, reprobate, reprove, rip*, roast, scathe, scorch*, skin alive, skin*, slam*, slog, slug, take down, trash*, trim*, zap |
Antonyms: |
approve, compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | impugn |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize, challenge |
Synonyms: |
assail, attack, blast, break, call into question, cast aspersions upon, cast doubt upon, come down on, contradict, contravene, cross, cut to shreds, deny, disaffirm, dispute, gainsay, knock*, negate, negative, oppose, pin something on, put down*, question, resist, run down, skin alive, slam*, smear, stick it to, swipe at, tar, throw doubt on, throw the book at, thumb nose at, traduce, trash, traverse, zap, zing |
Antonyms: |
flatter, praise |
| Main Entry: | reprimand |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | blame, scold |
Synonyms: |
admonish, call on the carpet, castigate, censure, check, chew out, chide, come down on, criticize, denounce, dress down, give piece of one's mind, give the dickens, lecture, lesson, light into, lower the boom, monish, rap, rebuke, reprehend, reproach, reprove, take to task, tell off, tick off, upbraid |
Antonyms: |
exonerate, forgive, reward |
| Main Entry: | restrict |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confine, limit situation or ability to participate |
Synonyms: |
bind, bottle up, bound, chain, check, circumscribe, come down on, constrict, contain, contract, cool down, cramp, curb, decrease, define, delimit, delimitate, demarcate, demark, diminish, encircle, enclose, hamper, handicap, hang up, hem in, hold back, hold down, impede, inclose, inhibit, keep within bounds, keep within limits, moderate, modify, narrow, pin down, prelimit, put away, put on ice, qualify, reduce, regulate, restrain, send up, shorten, shrink, shut in, surround, temper, tether, tie |
Antonyms: |
enlarge, expand, free, let go, release |
| Main Entry: | surprise |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | sneak up on; catch |
Synonyms: |
ambush, burst in on, bushwhack, capture, catch in the act, catch off-balance, catch off-guard, catch red-handed, catch unawares, come down on, discover, drop in on, grab, grasp, lay for, lie in wait, nab, seize, spring on, startle, take, take by surprise, waylay |
Antonyms: |
expect |
| Main Entry: | surprise |
| Part of Speech: | noun, verb |
Related
Adjectives: |
anoetic, blutterbunged, ferly, gloppened, imprevisible, inattentive, inopinate, mirific, serendipitous, startling, struck, sudden, surprised, unanticipated, unaware, unexpected, unforeseen, unwarned
|