censorious

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia.

cen·so·ri·ous

(sĕn-sôr′ē-əs)

adj.

1. Tending to censure; critical.

2. Expressing censure.

[Latin cēnsōrius, of a censor, from cēnsor, Roman censor; see censor.]

cen·so′ri·ous·ly adv.

cen·so′ri·ous·ness n.

censorious

(sɛnˈsɔːrɪəs)

adj

harshly critical; fault-finding

cenˈsoriously adv

cenˈsoriousness n

cen•so•ri•ous

(sɛnˈsɔr i əs, -ˈsoʊr-)

adj.

severely critical; faultfinding; carping.

[1530–40; < Latin cēnsōrius of a censor; see censor, -tory¹, -ous]

cen•so′ri•ous•ly, adv.

cen•so′ri•ous•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.

censorious - harshly critical or expressing censure; "was censorious of petty failings"

critical - marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws; "a critical attitude"

censorious

adjective critical, severe, carping, disapproving, scathing, disparaging, judgmental, cavilling, condemnatory, fault-finding, captious He is too judgmental and censorious for my liking.

censorious

adjective

Inclined to judge too severely:

captious, carping, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical.

Translations

قاسٍ في نَقْدِهِ

kritickýodsuzující

fordømmendekritisk

kritisch

bírál ó

gagnrÿninn, dómharîur

critico

dømmesyk fordømmende

eleştirici/tenkitçi

爱挑剔的

censorious

[senˈsɔːrɪəs] ADJ (frm) → hipercrítico

censorious

[sɛnˈsɔːrɪəs] adj (formal) (= critical) → sévère

censorious

adj remark, glance → strafend; he was very censorious of the new policy → er kritisierte die neue Politik scharf

censorious

[ˌsɛnˈsɔːrɪəs] adj → critico/a

censor

(ˈsensə) noun

1. an official who examines films etc and has the power to remove any of the contents which might offend people. Part of his film has been banned by the censor.

2. an official (eg in the army) who examines letters etc and removes information which the authorities do not wish to be made public for political reasons etc.

verb

This film has been censored; The soldiers' letters are censored.

cenˈsorious (-ˈsoː-) adjective

very critical. She is censorious about the behaviour of young people.

ˈcensorship noun

the policy of censoring. Some people disapprove of censorship.

References in classic literature ?

The poor gentleman has no way of showing that he is a gentleman but by virtue, by being affable, well-bred, courteous, gentle-mannered, and kindly, not haughty, arrogant, or censorious, but above all by being charitable; for by two maravedis given with a cheerful heart to the poor, he will show himself as generous as he who distributes alms with bell-ringing, and no one that perceives him to be endowed with the virtues I have named, even though he know him not, will fail to recognise and set him down as one of good blood; and it would be strange were it not so; praise has ever been the reward of virtue, and those who are virtuous cannot fail to receive commendation.

View in context

And a little censorious, I am afraid," Granet added with a slight grimace.

View in context

It is certain, however, that although the difference to the outward eye was very small, it nevertheless existed, and she was less censorious in her treatment of Rebecca, less harsh in her judgments, more hopeful of final salvation for her.

View in context

I've no desire to seem censorious, you know, Jacks," the young man went on, leaning back in his chair and lighting a cigarette, "but it does seem a dashed queer thing that you can't put your finger upon either of these fellows.

View in context

The only thing that could be urged against him by the most censorious was a too close attention to business.

View in context

He had one other constant attendant, in the person of a beautiful Jewish girl; who attached herself to him from feelings half religious, half romantic, but whose virtuous and disinterested character appears to have been beyond the censure even of the most censorious.

View in context

With that apology I withdrew to a seat between Peepy (who, being well used to it, had already climbed into a corner place) and an old lady of a censorious countenance whose two nieces were in the class and who was very indignant with Peepy's boots.

And he never does anything else," said the old lady of the censorious countenance.

I felt a liking for him and a compassion for him as he put his little kit in his pocket--and with it his desire to stay a little while with Caddy--and went away good-humouredly to his cold mutton and his school at Kensington, that made me scarcely less irate with his father than the censorious old lady.

View in context

You are my friend, sir," the other went on, gravely censorious.

View in context

The world's very censorious, old boy," the other replied.

View in context

Jay Harman, manager of education campaigns Humanists UK, said, "It is simply not acceptable for a state-funded school to take such a censorious, homophobic and misogynistic approach to education.