lambaste

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To scold, reprimand or criticize harshly.

   The sergeant lambasted the new recruits daily.

Simplified etymology

Lambaste originally meant “beat” or “thrash.” It combines late-16th-century lam, “beat soundly,” with mid-16th-century baste, “thrash,” both probably of Scandinavian origin. Its figurative sense “criticize harshly” dates from the late 19th century.

First attested in 1637. Probably lam (“beat”) + baste (“beat”)

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary