Definition of pillory
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
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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 the French term 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.
Illustration of pillory
Origin and Etymology of pillory
Middle English, from Anglo-French pilori
pillory
Definition of pillory
pilloried
;pillorying
transitive verb
1 : to set in a pillory as punishment
2 : to expose to public contempt, ridicule, or scorn
Examples of pillory in a Sentence
The press pilloried the judge for her decision.
Recent Examples of pillory from the Web
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That would mean surviving another 685 days of plotting and pillorying.
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George got pilloried for that move, but at least Indiana was able to get something in return (as meager as that haul from the Thunder turned out to be).
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Insurers are increasingly exiting the off-exchange market as well, forcing wealthier people who buy unsubsidized plans to rely on the very Obamacare marketplace the administration and Republicans in Congress have pilloried and worked to undermine.
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Raymond Bonner and Alma Guillermoprieto, who were both pilloried by the nascent rightwing noise machine for truthfully reporting a massacre at a place called El Mozote in El Salvador carried out by troops allegedly on our side.)
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That’s not surprising given the way that Sean Spicer, the current occupant of the position, has been pilloried by the press and late-night comics.
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Two years ago, a new Open course at Chambers Bay in Washington state was pilloried for its architecture, spectator accessibility and mostly its condition.
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Comey was pilloried for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, yet is now seen as a critical cog in the inquiry into possible connections between Russia and the Trump campaign.
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But Comey is being pilloried on the right for not having much of a legal case against President Trump, and for being a leaker to boot.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pillory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of pillory
circa 1600
PILLORY Defined for English Language Learners
pillory
playDefinition of pillory for English Language Learners
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: a device that was used in the past for punishing someone in public and that consists of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked
pillory
Definition of pillory for English Language Learners
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: to publicly criticize (someone) in a very harsh way
PILLORY Defined for Kids
pillory
playDefinition of pillory for Students
pillories
: a device once used for punishing someone in public consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked
Learn More about pillory
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Spanish Central: Translation of pillory Nglish: Translation of pillory for Spanish speakers
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