verb · neutral
criticize
UK/ˈkrɪtɪsaɪz/US/ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪz/CRI·ti·cize
to express disapproval of someone or something by pointing out faults
Examples
“The minister was criticized for the lack of action.”
“It's easy to criticize, but harder to suggest solutions.”
“Criticizing someone in public can damage relationships.”
Band 8 sentence
“While it's fair to criticize policy failures, we should also propose realistic alternatives.”
Collocations
- be criticized for
- criticize harshly
- face criticism
Word family
Common mistakes
People often criticize the government lack of transparency.→People often criticize the government's lack of transparency.
He criticize me for my idea yesterday.→He criticized me for my idea yesterday.
Say it for a higher band
5say bad things about→6blame→7+criticize
Synonyms
blame
condemn
Easily confused
condemn
“Many people condemned the violent actions of the group.”
Related words
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In -ize
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