Synonyms of pilloried

pilloried

verb

past tense of pillory

as in criticized

to subject (someone) to harsh public criticism

The press pilloried the judge for her decision.

Related Words

• criticized
• blamed
• scolded
• condemned
• denounced
• berated
• excoriated
• slammed
• lashed
• upbraided
• castigated
• crucified
• lambasted
• faulted
• panned
• blasted
• flayed
• censured
• attacked
• slagged
• hammered
• skewered
• keelhauled
• assailed
• gibbeted
• reprehended
• knocked
• dissed
• slashed
• clobbered
• complained
• derided
• tweaked
• dispraised
• groused
• admonished
• whined
• bitched
• carped
• nicked (at)
• kicked
• reprimanded
• griped
• muttered
• disparaged
• grumbled
• sniped (at)
• belittled
• murmured
• quibbled
• rebuked
• reproached
• moaned
• beefed
• crabbed
• decried
• bellyached
• drubbed
• niggled
• growled
• kvetched
• reproved
• caviled
• chid
• croaked
• bad-mouthed
• fussed
• discommended
• put down

Dissimilar Words

• approved
• endorsed
• recommended
• sanctioned
• commended
• praised
• lauded
• extolled

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pilloried

Flock has been pilloried at city council meetings and its equipment has been physically attacked on the street. — Andrew Zucker, Vanity Fair, 14 Aug. 2026

Andrew Sweetman, the Scottish marine biogeochemist who led the work, hadn’t made such claims, but he was still pilloried by fellow-scientists, and proponents of mining accused him of being an anti-mining crusader. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

He was soon being pilloried on several fronts including management decisions that alienated key executives, and a public fight with star Scarlett Johansson. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026

No wonder Izzy gets pilloried so many times just for having the driest sense of humor. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026

At the time, this movie was pilloried by most critics. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 June 2026

Monroe was pilloried, in her moment, but she was also allowed by Hollywood to test her talents in a manner that, decades later, actresses known for their physicality still struggle to do. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 1 June 2026

The franchise’s last movie, 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, was pilloried by critics and fans, though still managed to squeak past the $1 billion mark globally (people wanted to see how the Skywalker Saga story concluded, but were decidedly unimpressed with the result). — Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

But those who voted for a non-binding pro-ICE resolution have been pilloried for it. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026