criticise

criticise — verb

1. to point out what you see as faults or mistakes in someone's behaviour, work, or

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to point out what you see as faults or mistakes in someone's behaviour, work, or actions, particularly when you feel let down by them

例句

Hoa criticised her brother for leaving dirty dishes in the sink.

criticise + for + gerund

The charity criticised the local government for ignoring the housing crisis.

criticise + for + noun phrase

同義詞
  • condemn

    much stronger and more formal; expresses total disapproval, often on moral grounds

  • blame

    focuses on holding someone responsible for something that went wrong

反義詞
  • praise

    to express warm approval or admiration of someone or something

文法句型

criticise + somebody/something + for + noun/gerund

criticise + somebody/something + as + adjective

用法筆記

Often followed by 'for' and a noun or gerund to state the specific reason for disapproval. This sense cannot take a that-clause — use 'criticise somebody/something for something' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The manager criticised that the report was late.
✅The manager criticised the report for being late.
💡'criticise' does not take a that-clause; use 'criticise something for something'.

2. to examine a book, film, play, or similar work and then say what you think about

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to examine a book, film, play, or similar work and then say what you think about its quality and value

例句

Christopher was asked to criticise the new play for a local newspaper.

passive infinitive: be asked to criticise + for + publication

The film critic criticised the director's latest movie in a harsh review.

criticise + noun (creative work)

同義詞
  • review

    specifically used when writing or publishing a professional assessment of a creative work

  • evaluate

    more general; applies to any careful judgment, not limited to creative works

文法句型

criticise + noun phrase (book, film, play, essay)

criticise + noun + for + noun (publication)

用法筆記

Subject is usually a reviewer, teacher, or professional whose role involves assessing creative works. Unlike sense 1 (FIND FAULT), this sense implies a balanced judgment of merits and weaknesses, not only disapproval.

常見錯誤

❌I criticised the film badly because it was boring.
✅I criticised the film in my blog post, pointing out both its strengths and weaknesses.
💡Sense 2 is about giving a considered evaluation, not simply attacking something.