Definition of 'crucify'

Word Frequency

crucify

(krusɪfaɪ )

Word forms: crucifies, crucifying, crucified

1. transitive verb [usu passive]

If someone is crucified, they are killed by being tied or nailed to a cross and left to die.

...the day that Christ was crucified.

2. transitive verb

To crucify someone means to criticize or punish them severely.

[informal]

She'll crucify me if she finds you still here.

Word Frequency

crucify in American

(ˈkrusəˌfaɪ )

verb transitiveWord forms: ˈcruciˌfied or ˈcruciˌfying

to put to death by nailing or binding to a cross and leaving to die of exposure

to mortify (the flesh) as by asceticism

to be very cruel to; torment

Derived forms

crucifier (ˈcruciˌfier)

noun

Word origin of 'crucify'

ME crucifien < OFr crucifier < VL *crucificare < LL(Ec) crucifigere < L crux, cross + figere: see fix

Word Frequency

crucify in British

(ˈkruːsɪˌfaɪ )

verbWord forms: -fies, -fying or -fied (transitive)

to put to death by crucifixion

2. slang

to defeat, ridicule, etc, totally

the critics crucified his performance

to treat very cruelly; torment

to subdue (passion, lust, etc); mortify

Derived forms

crucifier (ˈcruciˌfier)

noun

Word origin of 'crucify'

C13: from Old French crucifier, from Late Latin crucifīgere to crucify, to fasten to a cross, from Latin crux cross + fīgere to fasten

Synonyms of 'crucify'

execute, put to death, nail to a cross

pan, rubbish, ridicule, slag (off)

torture, rack, torment, harrow

More Synonyms of crucify

Trends of 'crucify'

Used Rarely. crucify is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Translations for 'crucify'

British English: crucify VERB

If someone is crucified, they are killed by being tied or nailed to a cross and left to die.

He was crucified on a diagonal cross.

American English: crucify
Brazilian Portuguese: crucificar
Chinese: 把…钉死在十字架上
European Spanish: crucificar
French: crucifier
German: kreuzigen
Italian: crocifiggere
Japanese: はりつけの刑に処せられる
Korean: 십자가에 못 박히다
European Portuguese: crucificar
Spanish: crucificar

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Nearby words of 'crucify'

Source

Definition of crucify from the Collins English Dictionary

Capital letters

A capital(or‘upper case’) letter is used to mark the beginning of a sentence. W hen I was 20, I dropped out of university and became a model. Capital letters are also used for the first letter in p...