Synonyms

criticize

American

[krit-uh-sahyz] / ˈkrɪt əˌsaɪz /

especially British, criticise

verb (used with object)

to censure or find fault with.

Synonyms:

blame, condemn
to judge or discuss the merits and faults of.

to criticize three novels in one review.

Synonyms:

evaluate, appraise

verb (used without object)

to find fault; judge unfavorably or harshly.
to make judgments as to merits and faults.

criticize British

/ ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪz /

verb

to judge (something) with disapproval; censure
to evaluate or analyse (something)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of criticize

First recorded in 1640–50; critic + -ize

Explanation

To criticize is to find what's wrong with something, like the improbabilities in a movie's plot line, or double standards in your father's rules. The verb criticize comes from the noun, critic, and means "to act like a critic." A critic is someone who judges, and that doesn't have to mean negative judgment (think of a glowing movie review from a movie critic), but when we use criticize we always mean finding what's wrong, instead of what's good, with something. If your friend is just learning to bake, don't criticize his first batch of burned cookies too harshly; he'll just give up.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing criticize

The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The New SAT: The Language of the Test

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

criticize criticizes criticized criticizing

Cubans who once feared government reprisals now criticize the country's leaders and have taken to banging pots and pans in regular nighttime protests.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Castle said that, while he might criticize some of the government agency’s numbers or methodologies, he believes in the importance of the USDA, saying it’s “still the envy of the world in this sector.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

But he’ll return, as a ghost, to criticize his son, who, admittedly, has grown staid and stale in his life, his marriage and his work, whatever that’s been.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

“If it’s safe, how could you criticize it?”

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Zannikos’s partners suspected he had sided with the labor group, he said, and started to criticize his work unfairly.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

“You are inspiring a dozen people for every person that criticizes you.”

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

Ramos, 55, who denies all the allegations, said that it is an escalation of a years-long attempt to silence his work that often criticizes Mexican forces who work closely with US allies on the border.

From Barron's ● May 14, 2026

Yet he still believes that he’s a man of the people who should be heeded on every aspect of life, especially on how to disregard all criticism because anyone who criticizes you must be wrong.

From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026

The strategy by McVay was so flawed, it was actually criticized by Tom Brady on Fox, and Brady rarely criticizes anybody.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2026

The writer criticizes “today’s youth” from head to toe, though without dismissing them all as “hopeless cases.”

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

It also has been criticized for sometimes being weaponized by opponents of a project, including housing developments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

It also criticized the office of then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody for failing to exercise sufficient oversight of the settlement.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

But his interpretation of these studies has been widely criticized.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Gao, 70 years old, and his brother, Gao Qiang, created works that criticized the excesses of Communist Party rule in China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Now Stanley Druckenmiller is criticizing the Treasury secretary.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

The Hollywood Reporter TV critic Daniel Fienberg wrote a piece this season criticizing the quickfire challenges, casting and other elements of the production and calling the show “broken.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

That interpretation suggests Alexander may not simply have been criticizing Harold for allegedly breaking an oath.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security rejected the allegations, defending its immigration enforcement efforts and criticizing the ACLU’s characterization of federal operations.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026

They’re on that television criticizing the greatest civil-rights leader known to man, and all he ever wanted was to bring peace to this country.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023