| Main Entry: | admonish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | warn, strongly criticize |
Synonyms: |
advise, berate, call down, call on the carpet, censure, check, chide, come down hard on, counsel, ding, draw the line, enjoin, exhort, forewarn, give a going over, give a piece of one's mind, glue*, growl*, hoist, jack up, notice, rap on knuckles, rap, rebuke, reprimand, reprove, scold, sit on, slap on wrist, speak to, talk to, tell a thing or two, tell off, upbraid, warn |
Antonyms: |
applaud, approve, commend, compliment, extol, flatter, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | chide |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize, lecture |
Synonyms: |
admonish, berate, blame, call down, call on the carpet, castigate, censure, check, condemn, exprobate, find fault, flay, give a hard time, lesson, monish, rate, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, scold, slap on the wrist, speak to, take down a peg, take down, talk to, tell off, tick off, upbraid |
Antonyms: |
compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | criticism |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | verbal disapproval |
Synonyms: |
Bronx cheer, animadversion, aspersion, bad press, blast, brickbats, call down, carping, cavil, caviling, censure, critical remarks, cut*, denunciation, disparagement, faultfinding, flak, hit*, knock*, nit-picking, objection, opprobrium, pan, panning, put down, quibble, rap on knuckles, reproof, roast, slam*, slap on wrist, slap, static, stricture, swipe, vitriol, zapper |
| Notes: | a criticism is an evaluation or judgment of something, while critique is a somewhat elevated term for the same thing; review is used as a synonym for these but may also imply a more comprehensive study |
Antonyms: |
approval, compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | disapproval |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | condemnation |
Synonyms: |
black list, blackball, blame, boo, boycott, brickbat, call down, castigation, catcall, censure, criticism, denunciation, deprecation, disapprobation, discontent, disfavor, dislike, disparagement, displeasure, dissatisfaction, hiss, nix, objection, opprobrium, ostracism, reproach, reproof, slap on wrist, stricture, thumbs down, vitriol, zing |
Antonyms: |
agreement, approval, endorsement, sanction |
| Main Entry: | punish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | penalize for wrongdoing |
Synonyms: |
abuse, attend to, batter, beat, beat up, blacklist, castigate, chasten, chastise, correct, crack down on, cuff, debar, defrock, discipline, dismiss, do in, execute, exile, expel, fine, flog, give a going over, give the works, harm, hurt, immure, incarcerate, injure, knock about, lash, lecture, maltreat, misuse, oppress, paddle, rap knuckles, reprove, rough up, scourge, sentence, slap wrist, spank, switch, teach a lesson, throw the book at, train, whip |
Antonyms: |
award, exonerate, let go, praise, protect, reward |
| Main Entry: | reprimand |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | oral punishment |
Synonyms: |
admonishment, admonition, bawling out, blame, calling down, castigation, censure, chiding, comeuppance, dressing-down, going over, grooming, hard time, lecture, piece of one's mind, ragging, rap, rebuke, reprehension, reproof, scolding, slap on wrist, talking-to, telling-off, tongue-lashing, what for |
Antonyms: |
forgiveness, praise, reward |
| Main Entry: | slap on the wrist |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | nominal punishment |
Synonyms: |
token punishment |