criticize/criticise
criticize/criticise
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "criticize/criticise" is /ˈkrɪtɪsaɪz/.
Crit-
/k/: Voiceless velar stop (as in "cat")
/r/: Voiced alveolar approximant (as in "red")
/ɪ/: Near-close near-front unrounded vowel (as in "kit")
/t/: Voiceless alveolar stop (as in "top")
-i-
/ɪ/: Near-close near-front unrounded vowel (as in "kit")
-cize
/s/: Voiceless alveolar fricative (as in "sip")
/aɪ/: Diphthong, combination of /a/ (as in "father") and /ɪ/ (as in "kit")
/z/: Voiced alveolar fricative (as in "zoo")
Word Form Variations
Base Form (Verb): criticize/criticise
Third Person Singular Present (Verb): criticizes/criticises
Present Participle (Verb): criticizing/criticising
Past Simple (Verb): criticized/criticised
Past Participle (Verb): criticized/criticised
Noun: criticism (uncountable)
Noun (Person): critic (singular), critics (plural)
Adjective: critical
Adverb: critically
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb: criticize/criticise
To express disapproval or find fault with someone or something, often in a detailed and analytical way.
Example: The coach began to criticize the team's defensive errors after the game.
Synonyms:
reprimand
censure
denounce
rebuke
find fault with
reproach
condemn
lambaste
Antonyms:
praise
applaud
commend
compliment
approve
endorse
To analyze and evaluate the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work, or a theory, often with the aim of forming a reasoned judgment.
Example: It is the role of a literary critic to criticize new novels and provide insightful analysis.
Synonyms:
analyze
evaluate
assess
appraise
review
scrutinize
Antonyms:
ignore
disregard
accept without question
Noun: criticism
The act of expressing disapproval or finding fault with someone or something; often, specific comments or judgments about shortcomings.
Example: He faced a lot of criticism for his handling of the situation.
Synonyms:
reproach
censure
condemnation
fault-finding
disapproval
objection
scolding
Antonyms:
praise
applause
commendation
approval
endorsement
The analytical and evaluative discussion of a literary, artistic, or academic work, often published in a review or essay.
Example: The play received strong criticism from the theater community.
Synonyms:
analysis
evaluation
assessment
review
appraisal
critique
Antonyms:
ignorance
neglect
acceptance (unquestioning)
Noun: critic
A person who expresses an unfavorable judgment or opinion about something or someone.
Example: Her harshest critics were surprised by her latest achievement.
Synonyms:
detractor
fault-finder
blamer
censor
reviewer (in a negative sense)
Antonyms:
supporter
advocate
admirer
champion
fan
A person whose profession is to evaluate and analyze literary, artistic, or academic works.
Example: She works as a film critic for a major newspaper.
Synonyms:
reviewer
analyst
evaluator
commentator
connoisseur
Antonyms:
creator (of the work being criticized)
artist
writer
Adjective: critical
Expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgments.
Example: He was very critical of the new policy.
Synonyms:
disapproving
censorious
judgmental
reproachful
condemnatory
negative
Antonyms:
approving
praising
complimentary
supportive
favorable
unbiased (in the sense of not being unduly negative)
Involving the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.
Example: Critical thinking is essential for problem-solving.
Synonyms:
analytical
evaluative
discerning
perceptive
thoughtful
reasoned
Antonyms:
unthinking
superficial
unanalytical
biased (in the sense of not being objective)
(Of a situation or problem) having a decisive importance in the success or failure of something.
Example: The next few hours are critical for the patient's recovery.
Synonyms:
crucial
vital
pivotal
essential
indispensable
momentous
Antonyms:
unimportant
insignificant
minor
trivial
(Of a disease or patient) at a stage of extreme danger or near-fatal condition.
Example: The accident victim is in critical condition.
Synonyms:
serious
grave
severe
life-threatening
dire
Antonyms:
stable
minor
improving
healthy
Adverb: critically
In a way that expresses disapproval or finds fault.
Example: He spoke critically of the government's recent decisions.
Synonyms:
disapprovingly
judgmentally
harshly
negatively
scathingly
Antonyms:
approvingly
praisingly
favorably
positively
supportively
In a way that involves careful judgment and evaluation.
Example: Think critically before making a decision.
Synonyms:
analytically
evaluatively
discerningly
thoughtfully
judiciously
Antonyms:
uncritically
thoughtlessly
superficially
unreflectively
In a crucial or essential way; at a critical stage.
Example: The project is critically dependent on securing additional funding.
Synonyms:
crucially
vitally
pivotal
essentially
momentously
Antonyms:
unimportantly
insignificantly
minutely
trivially
Examples of Use
Books:
"It's so much easier to criticize than to create," writes J.K. Rowling in an online essay reflecting on public reception to her work (J.K. Rowling Official Website).
In her memoir, Michelle Obama recounts how she learned to navigate public life, stating, "I had to learn how to compartmentalize the criticism and focus on the work" (Becoming).
Newspapers:
"Economists criticize the central bank's decision to raise interest rates, citing concerns about slowing economic growth," reported The Wall Street Journal.
An editorial in The Guardian stated, "The government's new healthcare policy has been widely criticized by medical professionals" .
Online Publications:
A headline on The Verge read, "Tech giants face renewed criticism over AI ethics".
Vox published an article titled, "Why it's so hard to criticize your favorite creators online".
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
During a panel discussion on The Daily Show, a guest remarked, "It's easy to criticize a film from your couch, but much harder to make one" (Comedy Central, November 2024).
In a YouTube video reviewing a new video game, a popular streamer commented, "While I love the graphics, I have to criticize the repetitive gameplay mechanics" (Gaming Insights Channel, March 2025).
A character in the TV series Succession famously quips, "Don't criticize what you don't understand" (HBO, October 2021).
General Public Discourse:
During a town hall meeting, a citizen stood up to say, "I want to criticize the lack of transparency in the city council's recent budget decisions."
On a social media platform, a user posted, "It's fine to criticize ideas, but let's not resort to personal attacks."
A parent at a school meeting might say, "I don't mean to criticize the teachers, but I think communication could be improved."
10 Quotes Using Criticize/Criticise
"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain—and most fools do." (Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People)
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." (Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic" speech, 1910)
"I have been told, and I believe it, that it's much easier to criticize than it is to create." (J.K. Rowling, J.K. Rowling Official Website, October 2014)
"Do not criticize yourself too much." (Unknown, often attributed to various self-help gurus)
"People ask for criticism, but they only want praise." (W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up)
"When you criticize a man, you must be careful to say it as if you were encouraging him." (Plato, Laws)
"Don't criticize what you don't understand, son. You never walked in that man's shoes." (Elvis Presley, Jailhouse Rock)
"It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view." (George Eliot, Middlemarch)
"The artist is not a professional to be criticized; he is a man of the world." (Jean Cocteau, The Difficulty of Being)
"The public are the only critics whose opinions are worth anything at all." (Mark Twain)
Etymology
The core of "criticize" comes from the Greek word "kritēs" (κριτής), which meant "judge" or "one who decides." This "judge" wasn't just someone in a courtroom; it was someone who could make a discerning decision, someone who could tell the difference between good and bad, true and false.
From "kritēs" came the Greek verb "krinein" (κρίνειν), meaning "to judge," "to separate," or "to discern." This emphasizes the idea of making a distinction.
Then, we get to the Late Latin word "criticus," which referred to a "critic" – specifically, someone who was skilled in judging literary works. This shows the word moving into the realm of evaluating art and writing.
The English word "critic" (the person) emerged from this in the 16th century, referring to someone who makes judgments about literary or artistic works.
Finally, the verb "criticize" (or "criticise" in British English) appeared in the early 17th century, around the 1620s. Its earliest known meaning was "to review or judge as a critic," especially in relation to literature or art. So, initially, it was about scholarly or informed evaluation.
Over time, its meaning broadened to include finding fault or expressing disapproval in a more general sense, which is how we often use it today. But at its root, it's always been about making a judgment or a distinction.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Criticize/Criticise
Criticize constructively: To offer criticism with the aim of helping someone improve, rather than just to find fault.
Criticize unfairly: To judge or find fault without a just or reasonable basis.
Open to criticism: Willing to accept and consider critical feedback.
Beyond criticism: So excellent or perfect that no fault can be found.
Subject to criticism: Likely to be criticized or receiving criticism.
To heap criticism on: To direct a large amount of criticism towards someone or something.
To level criticism at: To direct specific criticisms towards someone or something.
To invite criticism: To do something that is likely to provoke negative feedback.
A critic's darling: (Using the noun "critic") Something or someone highly praised by critics.
To pick apart: (Idiom using a synonym for similar effect) To analyze something in great detail, often finding many faults.
To tear down: (Idiom using a synonym for similar effect) To destroy someone's reputation or confidence, often through harsh criticism.
To find fault with: (Phrase using a synonym for similar effect) To point out errors or imperfections.
To pull no punches: (Idiom implying strong criticism) To speak directly and frankly, even if it is harsh or unpleasant.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of criticize/criticise from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
