crucifixion
/kruː.səˈfɪk.ʃən/ (bre, ipa) · [krˌusɪfˈɪkʃən] /kruː.səˈfɪk.ʃən/ (ame, ipa) · [krˌusɪfˈɪkʃən] /ˌkrü-sə-ˈfik-shən/ (ame, mw)
crucifixion — noun
- crucifixionsingular
- crucifixionsplural
1. putting a person to death by tying or nailing the body on a cross
putting a person to death by tying or nailing the body on a cross
The Roman governor ordered the crucifixion of the rebel leader at dawn.
the crucifixion of + person
Historians debate whether public crucifixion was meant to frighten nearby villages.
public crucifixion as punishment
The film shows a brutal crucifixion before the crowd falls silent.
Priests prayed for the prisoner facing crucifixion outside the city walls.
- execution
broader term for putting someone to death by any method
- crucifying
same act, but usually used as a verbal noun rather than a formal count noun
文法句型
a crucifixion
the crucifixion of + person/group
用法筆記
Often followed by of to name the victim or group being killed. Distinguish it from sense 2, which refers specifically to Jesus Christ, and sense 3, which names an artwork.
常見錯誤
2. the event in which Jesus Christ was killed on a cross
the event in which Jesus Christ was killed on a cross
Many Christians reflect on the Crucifixion during Good Friday services.
the Crucifixion as a unique event
The novel ends with a prayer about the Crucifixion and human forgiveness.
Her lecture explained how the Crucifixion shaped early Christian art.
The choir sang quietly while the pastor spoke about the Crucifixion.
- Passion
Christian term that stresses Christ's suffering leading up to the death
- death of Christ
plain paraphrase without the theological label
- Resurrection
the later event in Christian teaching, not the death itself
文法句型
the Crucifixion
reflect on the Crucifixion
用法筆記
Usually written with the and treated as a unique event in Christian belief. Distinguish it from sense 1, which can refer to any person's death on a cross.
3. a painting, sculpture, or similar work that shows Jesus dying on the cross
a painting, sculpture, or similar work that shows Jesus dying on the cross
The chapel's oldest crucifixion hangs above a row of prayer candles.
a crucifixion as an artwork
Élise wrote her thesis on a fifteenth-century crucifixion from northern Italy.
art-history use of crucifixion
The guide pointed to a small crucifixion beside the gold altar screen.
Restorers cleaned the darkened crucifixion before the Easter exhibition opened.
- depiction
broader word for any visual showing of a subject
- religious painting
natural paraphrase when the work is specifically a painting
文法句型
a crucifixion
paint a crucifixion
用法筆記
This sense is countable and is mainly used in art history or museum contexts. It names the artwork, not the event itself.
4. an experience of very harsh pain, shame, or suffering
an experience of very harsh pain, shame, or suffering
Waiting for the storm news was a crucifixion for the whole family.
a crucifixion for + person
Those six hours in the dentist's chair felt like a crucifixion.
feel like a crucifixion
Public shame on live television became a crucifixion for the actor.
The endless court case turned each month into a fresh crucifixion.
- relief
the easing or ending of pain or distress
文法句型
feel like a crucifixion
a crucifixion for + person
用法筆記
Usually figurative and often used for an experience that feels painfully drawn out. It is stronger and more dramatic than ordinary words like trouble or stress.