PILLORY (pilloried)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: pilloried   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pillory mean? 

• PILLORY (noun)
  The noun PILLORY has 1 sense:

1. a wooden instrument of punishment on a post with holes for the wrists and neck; offenders were locked in and so exposed to public scorn

  Familiarity information: PILLORY used as a noun is very rare.

• PILLORY (verb)
  The verb PILLORY has 3 senses:

1. expose to ridicule or public scorn

2. punish by putting in a pillory

3. criticize harshly or violently

  Familiarity information: PILLORY used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PILLORY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A wooden instrument of punishment on a post with holes for the wrists and neck; offenders were locked in and so exposed to public scorn

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("pillory" is a kind of...):

instrument of punishment (an instrument designed and used to punish a condemned person)

Derivation:

pillory (punish by putting in a pillory)

• PILLORY (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Expose to ridicule or public scorn

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

gibbet; pillory

Hypernyms (to "pillory" is one way to...):

display; exhibit; expose (to show, make visible or apparent)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Punish by putting in a pillory

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "pillory" is one way to...):

penalise; penalize; punish (impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

pillory (a wooden instrument of punishment on a post with holes for the wrists and neck; offenders were locked in and so exposed to public scorn)

Sense 3

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 "pillory" 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 

I had no occasion of bribing, flattering, or pimping, to procure the favour of any great man, or of his minion; I wanted no fence against fraud or oppression: here was neither physician to destroy my body, nor lawyer to ruin my fortune; no informer to watch my words and actions, or forge accusations against me for hire: here were no gibers, censurers, backbiters, pickpockets, highwaymen, housebreakers, attorneys, bawds, buffoons, gamesters, politicians, wits, splenetics, tedious talkers, controvertists, ravishers, murderers, robbers, virtuosos; no leaders, or followers, of party and faction; no encouragers to vice, by seducement or examples; no dungeon, axes, gibbets, whipping-posts, or pillories; no cheating shopkeepers or mechanics; no pride, vanity, or affectation; no fops, bullies, drunkards, strolling whores, or poxes; no ranting, lewd, expensive wives; no stupid, proud pedants; no importunate, overbearing, quarrelsome, noisy, roaring, empty, conceited, swearing companions; no scoundrels raised from the dust upon the merit of their vices, or nobility thrown into it on account of their virtues; no lords, fiddlers, judges, or dancing-masters.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)