pillory

noun
UK: /ˈpɪləri/
US: /ˈpɪləri/

  1. A wooden structure with holes for the head and hands, used to publicly punish someone.

    1. The criminal was placed in the pillory for all to see.
    2. Being put in the pillory was a harsh punishment in those days.

  2. A situation where someone is publicly criticized or ridiculed.

    1. The politician faced a pillory after his scandal.
    2. Social media can be a pillory, exposing people's mistakes.

Synonyms

condemn criticize shame vilify denounce
pillory verb

  1. To expose someone to public criticism or ridicule.

    1. The media will pillory anyone involved in corruption.
    2. They plan to pillory the company for its environmental damage.
pillory transitive-verb

  1. To punish, hold up to public scorn.

    1. The newspapers often pillory celebrities for their actions.
    2. Critics pillory the movie, calling it boring and predictable.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "pillory" in English means: A wooden structure with holes for the head and hands, used to publicly punish someone., A situation where someone is publicly criticized or ridiculed..

The phonetic transcription of "pillory" is /ˈpɪləri/ in British English and /ˈpɪləri/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "pillory": condemn, criticize, shame, vilify, denounce.

Example usage of "pillory": "The criminal was placed in the pillory for all to see.". More examples on the page.