ENGLISH
REFERENCE

criticized

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɹɪtəˌsaɪzd// crit·i·cized

v. to say what you think is wrong or bad about someone or something. You do this when you want to point out mistakes or express that you do not like a person's work or behavior.

v. to express disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes. Transitive; requires a direct object and often takes the preposition 'for' to indicate the reason for the disapproval.


SIMPLE

The teacher criticized my essay for having too many spelling mistakes.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community criticized the new housing project for its lack of green space and high prices.

COMPLEX

While the director's previous films were universally praised, his latest work was heavily criticized for its slow pacing and lack of character development.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It is frequently followed by the preposition 'for' followed by a noun or gerund.

Pitfall

They criticized about his workThey criticized his workCriticize is a transitive verb and should be followed directly by an object, not the preposition 'about'.

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