CRUCIFY (crucified)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: crucified   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does crucify mean? 

• CRUCIFY (verb)
  The verb CRUCIFY has 4 senses:

1. kill by nailing onto a cross

2. treat cruelly

3. hold within limits and control

4. criticize harshly or violently

  Familiarity information: CRUCIFY used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CRUCIFY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they crucify    ... he / she / it crucifies   
Past simple: crucified   
Past participle: crucified   
-ing form: crucifying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Kill by nailing onto a cross

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

Jesus Christ was crucified

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Treat cruelly

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

bedevil; crucify; dun; frustrate; rag; torment

Context example:

The children tormented the stuttering teacher

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 3

Meaning:

Hold within limits and control

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

crucify; mortify; subdue

Context example:

mortify the flesh

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 4

Meaning:

Criticize harshly or violently

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

blast; crucify; pillory; savage

Context example:

The critics crucified the author for plagiarizing a famous passage

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

 Context examples 

Woman sort of a martyr, eh? —crucified on the cross of matrimony? The doctor nodded.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)