What is the meaning of pillory?

noun

  • A wooden instrument of punishment on a post with holes for the wrists and neck; offenders were locked in and so exposed to public scorn.

verb

  • Expose to ridicule or public scorn.
  • Punish by putting in a pillory.
  • Criticize harshly or violently.
    • usage: "The press savaged the new President"; "The critics crucified the author for plagiarizing a famous passage"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). Pillory. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/pillory/definitions/1206776
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "Pillory" http://smartdefine.org/pillory/definitions/1206776 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, Pillory, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/pillory/definitions/1206776>.
MLAWordNet. "Pillory" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/pillory/definitions/1206776>
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