lambaste

verb

lam·baste (ˌ)lam-ˈbāst

-ˈbast

ˈlam-ˌbāst,

-ˌbast

variants or lambast

lambasted; lambasting; lambastes or lambasts

Synonyms of lambaste next

transitive verb

: to assault violently : beat, whip

: to attack verbally : censure

critics lambasted his performance

Did you know?

The origins of lambaste (which can also be spelled lambast) are somewhat uncertain, but the word was most likely formed by combining the verbs lam and baste, both of which mean “to beat severely.” (This baste is unrelated to either the sewing or cooking one.) Although lambaste started out in the 1600s meaning “to assault violently,” English speakers were by the 1800s applying it in cases involving harsh attacks made with words rather than fists. This new sense clearly struck a chord; after fighting its way into the lexicon, lambaste has held fast ever since.

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Even as Republicans embrace him as an iconoclast, Democrats and other critics have lambasted Kennedy as a know-nothing without the scientific or bureaucratic experience to do the job effectively. —

Vox Staff, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025 In 2020, Cantrell publicly lambasted Daigle after the two-time Grammy Award winner gave an impromptu performance at an outdoor prayer service, concert and rally hosted by Christian singer and worship leader Sean Feucht. —

Ashley Hume, Fox News, 6 Feb. 2025 Massive business groups, including the powerful Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and several energy trade groups lambasted the tariffs. —

David Goldman, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025 The president, like other Republicans, has lambasted California’s liberal leaders for their handling of the wildfires. —

Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for lambaste