crucify
pronunciation
How to pronounce crucify in British English:
UK [ˈkru:sɪfaɪ]
How to pronounce crucify in American English:
US [ˈkrusəˌfaɪ]
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- Verb:
- kill by nailing onto a cross
- treat cruelly
- criticize harshly or violently
Word Origin
- crucify (v.)
- c. 1300, from Old French crucifer (12c., Modern French crucifier), from Vulgar Latin *crucificare, from Late Latin crucifigere "to fasten to a cross," from cruci, dative of Latin crux "cross" (see cross (n.)) + figere "fasten" (see fix (v.)). An ancient mode of capital punishment considered especially ignominious by the Romans. Figurative sense of "to torment" is 1620s. Related: Crucified; crucifying.
Example
- 1. For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you .
- 2. Mothers will want to crucify me for this seemingly cruel question , but it needs to be posed : how do we know that a newly born and healthy infant is conscious ?
- 3. They had the power , in a legendary phrase , to " crucify mankind upon a cross of gold " , and they did so .