crucify

/'kru:sifai/
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Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Verb (transitive):
    • To put to death by nailing or binding to a cross: This is the original, historical meaning, referring to a form of execution used in the ancient world.
    • To criticize or punish someone very severely and cruelly: This figurative meaning describes subjecting someone to harsh, relentless, and often public criticism or punishment.
    • To subdue or mortify (the flesh or bodily desires): This meaning, often used in religious or ascetic contexts, refers to the practice of denying physical desires through discipline or self-inflicted hardship.
Usage and Examples

  • Literal Execution:

    • The Roman authorities would often crucify rebels and criminals.
    • According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ was crucified at Golgotha.

  • Figurative: To Criticize or Punish Severely:

    • The new policy was crucified by the opposition in the press.
    • The coach crucified the team for their lack of effort during the game.

  • To Subdue or Mortify:

    • Some monastic traditions teach followers to crucify their flesh to achieve spiritual purity. (Note: This usage is less common in modern everyday English.)
Advanced Usage and Nuance
  • The figurative use of "crucify" implies a level of severity, public humiliation, and mercilessness beyond simple criticism. It suggests the subject is being metaphorically destroyed or made to suffer intensely.
  • In informal contexts, it can be used hyperbolically:
Variants and Related Words
  • Crucifixion (n): The act of crucifying or the state of being crucified; a representation of Jesus on the cross.
    • The crucifixion was a common Roman punishment.
  • Crucifix (n): A cross with a figure of Jesus Christ on it.
Synonyms
  • Literal: Execute, put to death.
  • Figurative (Criticize): Savage, lambaste, excoriate, pillory, tear apart.
  • Figurative (Torment): Torture, torment, persecute, harass.
Phrasal Verbs / Common Collocations
  • To be/get crucified for something: To be severely criticized or punished for a specific reason.
    • He got crucified for his comments during the interview.
  • To crucify oneself (over something): To be excessively hard on oneself; to engage in severe self-criticism. (Figurative, informal)
    • Don't crucify yourself over one mistake; learn from it and move on.
Idioms and Fixed Phrases
  • While "crucify" itself is not typically part of a large set of idioms, its figurative use is a powerful metaphor in phrases like:
    • "To crucify someone in the media/public eye": To subject someone to devastating public criticism.
    • "A crucified look/expression": An expression showing extreme anguish or suffering (though this is a less common descriptive use).
Verb
  1. criticize harshly or violently
    • The press savaged the new President
    • The critics crucified the author for plagiarizing a famous passage
  2. hold within limits and control
    • subdue one's appetites
    • mortify the flesh
  3. treat cruelly
    • The children tormented the stuttering teacher
  4. kill by nailing onto a cross
    • Jesus Christ was crucified

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