censorious

IPA/senˈsɔːriəs/
IPA/senˈsɔːriəs/

censorious — adjective

  • censoriouspositive
  • more censoriouscomparative
  • most censorioussuperlative

1. tending to express strong disapproval of other people's behaviour, opinions, or

1.形容詞C2
釋義

tending to express strong disapproval of other people's behaviour, opinions, or work, often in a way that seems unfairly harsh or too quick to find fault.

例句

Tamar wrote a censorious review of the novel, pointing out every small flaw.

censorious review + pointing out every small flaw

The new teacher's censorious tone discouraged pupils from asking questions in class.

censorious tone + discouraged pupils

同義詞
  • critical

    neutral and much more common; can describe either a single judgment or a habit

  • judgmental

    focuses on forming and expressing opinions about right/wrong, often in a moral sense

  • disapproving

    milder; suggests a negative opinion without the aggressive tone of 'censorious'

  • fault-finding

    informal; emphasises the habit of looking for problems rather than expressing them harshly

反義詞
  • approving

    showing a positive or favourable opinion

  • uncritical

    accepting things without judging or finding fault

  • complimentary

    expressing praise rather than criticism

文法句型

censorious + [noun phrase] describing a person/comment/attitude

be + censorious + about/towards + [noun phrase]

用法筆記

Describes a habitual character trait or the tone of a piece of writing, not a single critical remark. Uncommon in everyday conversation; appears mostly in formal or literary contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The editor censorious every mistake I made.
✅The editor was censorious about every mistake I made.
💡'censorious' is an adjective; it needs a linking verb (be, seem, become).
❌Her one critical comment was censorious.
✅Her one critical comment was harsh.
💡'censorious' describes an ongoing tendency or tone, not a single remark.