Illustration of pillory
- pillory 1
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
pilloried; pillorying
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
Matt Cabral, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Game of Thrones is back for a victory lap (that might end up being more of a Shame Nun–style pillory).
—Peter Rubin, WIRED, 17 July 2019
Michael Odell, Air Mail, 10 Apr. 2025
She has been pilloried for doing an episode of her first television show, The Sarah Silverman Program, in blackface, and protested by Asian American groups for her use of the aforementioned slur on Conan.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pillory
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Noun
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
Game of Thrones is back for a victory lap (that might end up being more of a Shame Nun–style pillory).
—Peter Rubin, WIRED, 17 July 2019
Verb
Here’s exactly how to do it By Ashley Baker
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Very Online
Trophy Wives Desperate, real, trad, or mad—housewives have been celebrated, pilloried, and fetishized for ages.
—Michael Odell, Air Mail, 10 Apr. 2025
She has been pilloried for doing an episode of her first television show, The Sarah Silverman Program, in blackface, and protested by Asian American groups for her use of the aforementioned slur on Conan.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pillory
Cite this Entry
“Pillory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pillory. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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