censorious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overcensoriousadjective
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uncensoriousnessnoun
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anticensoriousadjective
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overcensoriousnessnoun
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noncensoriousadjective
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overcensoriouslyadverb
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anticensoriouslyadverb
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anticensoriousnessnoun
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uncensoriousadjective
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noncensoriousnessnoun
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uncensoriouslyadverb
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censoriouslyadverb
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noncensoriouslyadverb
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censoriousnessnoun
Etymology
Origin of censorious
1530–40; < Latin cēnsōrius of a censor, hence, austere, moral; see censor, -tory 1
Explanation
Censorious, an adjective, describes people who are so critical, they find something wrong in everything. Do not let censorious guests come to your next dinner party! Censorious, pronounced "sen-SOAR-ee-us," comes from the Latin word censura, meaning "judgment." Someone who is censorious judges everyone and everything, ruining everyone's good time with harsh criticisms. The sky is too blue. Your dog is too friendly. The zebra has too many stripes. You get the idea. A censorious person makes others say, "So...is there anything you do like?"
Vocabulary lists containing censorious
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Into Thin Air
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Franny and Zooey
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
