lambaste

verb

lam·​baste (ˌ)lam-ˈbāst How to pronounce lambaste (audio) -ˈbast How to pronounce lambaste (audio)
ˈlam-ˌbāst,
-ˌbast
variants or lambast
lambasted; lambasting; lambastes or lambasts

transitive verb

1
: to assault violently : beat, whip
2
: to attack verbally : censure
critics lambasted his performance

Did you know?

The origins of lambaste are somewhat uncertain, but the word was most likely formed by combining the verbs lam and baste, both of which mean "to beat severely." (The baste functioning here is unrelated to either the sewing or cooking one.) (Incidentally, lambaste can also be spelled lambast, despite the modern spelling of the verb baste.) Some other synonyms of lambaste include pummel, thrash, and pound. Pummel suggests beating with one's fists ("the boxer ruthlessly pummeled his opponent"). Pound also suggests heavy blows, though perhaps not quite so much as pummel, and may imply a continuous rain of blows ("she pounded on the door"). Thrash means to strike repeatedly and thoroughly as if with a whip and is often used figuratively to mean "to defeat decisively or severely" ("the team thrashed their opponent 44-0").

Examples of lambaste in a Sentence

The coach lambasted the team for its poor play. They wrote several letters lambasting the new law.
Recent Examples on the Web In remarks delivered from her kitchen table at her house in Montgomery, Alabama, Britt denounced Mr. Biden's remarks in his third State of the Union, and lambasted the president for his policies on immigration, economics, crime and foreign policy. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 Trump has also called out high mortgage costs at his rallies, and quickly resumed his old playbook of lambasting the Fed from his time in office. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Democrats lambasted the speech as racist and insulting to Black voters. Matt Brown The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 25 Feb. 2024 In a familiar trend, Republicans of all stripes, from Trump backers to Trump skeptics to Trump antagonists, lambasted the ruling, offering the former president a wave of support after the surprise court decision. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 20 Dec. 2023 In recent years, Bieniemy has reportedly interviewed for 15 NFL head coaching jobs without landing an offer, making some question his people skills and others lambaste teams for passing him over so many times. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 There’s something so demoralizing about lambasting another underwhelming Marvel offering. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2024 Democrats lambasted the bill as a political ploy to undermine efforts to pass a broader foreign military aid bill that included Ukraine. Annie Karni, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 The mom then hilariously lambastes her husband for not switching to Spectrum and for the idea of putting the hole in their wall. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lambaste.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from lam entry 1 + baste

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lambaste was in 1620

Dictionary Entries Near lambaste

Cite this Entry

“Lambaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lambaste. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lambaste

verb
lam·​baste
variants or lambast
lambasted; lambasting
1
2
: to scold roughly

More from Merriam-Webster on lambaste

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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