pillory

[ pil-uh-ree ]

/ ˈpɪl ə ri /

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noun, plural pil·lo·ries.

a wooden framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used to expose an offender to public derision.

verb (used with object), pil·lo·ried, pil·lo·ry·ing.

to set in the pillory.

to expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse: The candidate mercilessly pilloried his opponent.

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Origin of pillory

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English pyllory, from Old French pilori, perhaps from Medieval Latin pīlōrium, equivalent to Latin pīl(a) “pillar” (see pile¹) + -ōrium noun suffix (see -ory²), though Romance variants such as Provençal espillori suggest a less transparent source

OTHER WORDS FROM pillory

un·pil·lo·ried, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pillory

pillar, pillory , pillow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pillory in a sentence

Being praised for false emulation is nearly as bad as being pilloried for false errors.
Compliments Are Nice, but Enough With the Cormac McCarthy Comparisons|William Giraldi|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He attacked the status quo and he pilloried the powers that be.
Why George Carlin Deserves His Own Street|Kevin Bartini|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A month ago it looked like the NFL might at last be pilloried for its culture of violence and big money.
How the Media Failed to Nail the NFL|Steve Almond|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pierre Casiraghi, third in the line to the Monaco throne, got punched in a nightclub last year—and pilloried in the press.
Royal Showdown in New York Court|Lizzie Crocker|February 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The prime minister at the time, Tomiichi Murayama, was pilloried for what many complained was a slow response by his government.
Will Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan Stay in Power?|Lennox Samuels, Takashi Yokota|March 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Whomsoever he pilloried was laid bare in all respects; physically and morally, no single trait of him was forgotten.
The History of Modern Painting, Volume 1 (of 4)|Richard Muther
Two hundred years thy name has been pilloried in face of the world, and thy memory gibbeted before mankind.
The Trial of Theodore Parker|Theodore Parker
Some have I seen pilloried for cheating, some for seditious words, some for disorder.
London|Walter Besant
Nobody was about and so against her will her eyes turned to the spot where she had been so pitilessly pilloried a month before.
Green Valley|Katharine Reynolds
The seizure of the Danish fleet was a low-down act, for which those who were responsible should have been pilloried.
Drake, Nelson and Napoleon|Walter Runciman

British Dictionary definitions for pillory

pillory

/ (ˈpɪlərɪ) /

noun plural -ries

a wooden framework into which offenders were formerly locked by the neck and wrists and exposed to public abuse and ridicule

exposure to public scorn or abuse

verb -ries, -rying or -ried (tr)

to expose to public scorn or ridicule

to punish by putting in a pillory

Word Origin for pillory

C13: from Anglo-Latin pillorium, from Old French pilori, of uncertain origin; related to Provençal espillori

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