pillory

1 of 2

noun

pil·​lo·​ry ˈpi-lə-rē 

ˈpil-rē

plural pillories

1

: a device formerly used for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked

2

: a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule

Illustration of pillory

• pillory 1

pillory

2 of 2

verb

pilloried; pillorying

transitive verb

1

: to set in a pillory as punishment

2

: to expose to public contempt, ridicule, or scorn

Did you know?

In days gone by, criminals who got caught might well have found themselves in the stocks (which held the feet or both feet and hands) or a pillory. Both of those forms of punishment—and the words that name them—have been around since the Middle Ages. We latched onto pillory from the Anglo-French pilori, which has the same meaning as our English term but the exact origins of which are uncertain. For centuries, pillory referred only to the wooden frame used to hold a ne'er-do-well, but by the early 1600s, folks had turned the word into a verb for the act of putting someone in a pillory. Within a century, they had further expanded the verb to cover any process that led to as much public humiliation as being pilloried.

Examples of pillory in a Sentence

Verb

The press pilloried the judge for her decision.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The 4% rule has drawn praise and pillory for years. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025

The girl's feet are bound to his bed, while her head and hands are locked in a pillory. —Matt Cabral, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025

Verb

The series has never strived to be anything more than opulent fluff, but it still gets consistently pilloried for its lack of realism. —Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025

The settlement triggered an outcry among critics who pilloried Paramount for backing down from the legal fight to increase the chances of closing the Skydance deal. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 25 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French pilori

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pillory

• artillery
• bacillary
• distillery
• intermaxillary
• premaxillary
• submaxillary

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Kids Definition

pillory

noun

pil·​lo·​ry

ˈpil-(ə-)rē

plural pillories

1

: a device formerly used for the public punishment of wrongdoers that consists of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked

2

: exposure to public scorn or ridicule

pillory verb