pillory
noun
a wooden framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used to expose an offender to public derision.
pilloried
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past participleof pillory.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof pillory.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
pillorynouna wooden framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used to expose an offender to public derision.
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.
L.A. believes it should be applauded, not pilloried, for their clever accounting, international reach and vaunted farm system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Influential iconoclastic thinker Richard Dawkins was then pilloried for suggesting that perhaps it already has.
From Slate ● May 25, 2026
Philadelphia is presenting itself as the US World Cup host city offering fans the best value for money, with affordable transport, accommodation and food while other venues are pilloried for gouging supporters.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
He got pilloried, which was the start of what Jack calls his "massive learning curve".
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2025
Arriving in Washington with the same sort of desire and energy to contribute, though, she’d been roundly spurned, pilloried for taking on a policy role in the White House’s work on health-care reform.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
