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

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

Master Kent does not know how to use the pillory key and hesitates, nervously. —Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2024

Verb

This spring, nearly 50 of his former colleagues and leaders of the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund pilloried Kennedy. —James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024

Some economists pilloried Biden at the time, saying the third round of stimulus relief went too far. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 24 Nov. 2024

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

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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