lambaste
verb
lam·baste (ˌ)lam-ˈbāst 
-ˈbast;
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").
Synonyms
- baste
- bawl out
- berate
- call down
- castigate
- chastise
- chew out
- dress down
- flay
- hammer
- jaw
- keelhaul
- lecture
- rag
- rail (at or against)
- rant (at)
- rate
- ream (out)
- rebuke
- reprimand
- reproach
- scold
- score
- tongue-lash
- upbraid
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The coach lambasted the team for its poor play. They wrote several letters lambasting the new law.
Recent Examples on the Web Some dedicated users have continued to lambaste Heard while lauding Depp. 
Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 1 Aug. 2022 Judge Bruce Schroeder suddenly halted the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager charged with killing two people and wounding a third during unrest in Kenosha, Wis., last year, to lambaste the chief prosecutor on Wednesday. Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2021 Cruz has joked at least three times about the trip, largely as an effort to lambaste high-profile Democrats for taking vacation. Timothy Fanning, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Nov. 2021 The most progressive migrant advocates lambaste him as too hard. Manuel Roig-franzia, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2021 Quote tweeting, however, is still active, and allowed for critics to lambaste Twitter for censoring an obituary. Fox News, 3 Oct. 2021 Not to be outdone, Republican governors went to the southern border Wednesday to lambaste the President on the flood of immigrants at the border. Joe Lockhart, CNN, 6 Oct. 2021 Eric Clapton appears to lyrically lambaste the world’s response to COVID-19 with a new song. al, 30 Aug. 2021 And her powerful agent Bryan Lourd stepped from behind his firm Creative Artists Agency’s veil of silence to lambaste the studio. Chris Lee, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2021 See More
Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 1 Aug. 2022 Judge Bruce Schroeder suddenly halted the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager charged with killing two people and wounding a third during unrest in Kenosha, Wis., last year, to lambaste the chief prosecutor on Wednesday. Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2021 Cruz has joked at least three times about the trip, largely as an effort to lambaste high-profile Democrats for taking vacation. Timothy Fanning, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Nov. 2021 The most progressive migrant advocates lambaste him as too hard. Manuel Roig-franzia, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2021 Quote tweeting, however, is still active, and allowed for critics to lambaste Twitter for censoring an obituary. Fox News, 3 Oct. 2021 Not to be outdone, Republican governors went to the southern border Wednesday to lambaste the President on the flood of immigrants at the border. Joe Lockhart, CNN, 6 Oct. 2021 Eric Clapton appears to lyrically lambaste the world’s response to COVID-19 with a new song. al, 30 Aug. 2021 And her powerful agent Bryan Lourd stepped from behind his firm Creative Artists Agency’s veil of silence to lambaste the studio. Chris Lee, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
probably from lam entry 1 + baste
First Known Use
1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1
lambastes
verb
variants or lambasts
1
as in scolds
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings the director lambasted them mercilessly for forgetting their lines during the final dress rehearsal Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- scolds
- lectures
- criticizes
- berates
- chastises
- upbraids
- castigates
- mocks
- flays
- rebukes
- attacks
- rags
- chides
- reprimands
- bastes
- blames
- calls down
- bawls out
- reproaches
- dresses down
- admonishes
- excoriates
- jaws
- denounces
- scores
- rates
- chews out
- lays into
- hammers
- reads the riot act (to)
- assails
- keelhauls
- reviles
- disparages
- crucifies
- rails (at or against)
- tongue-lashes
- rants (at)
- takes to task
- ridicules
- belittles
- reproves
- reams (out)
- slams
- harangues
- faults
- lashes
- condemns
- blasts
- scoffs
- abuses
- censures
- bad-mouths
- scorns
- disses
- knocks
- pans
- scourges
- reprehends
- remonstrates (with)
- vituperates
- laces (into)
- puts down
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- approves
- endorses
- indorses
- sanctions
- extols
- praises
- lauds
- extolls
2
as in slams
to criticize harshly and usually publicly movie critics across the country lambasted the film for its contrived plot Synonyms & Similar Words
- slams
- attacks
- criticizes
- excoriates
- assails
- castigates
- blasts
- savages
- potshots
- berates
- trashes
- bashes
- scolds
- ties into
- belabors
- abuses
- sails into
- reviles
- harasses
- scathes
- vituperates
- disparages
- chides
- harangues
- lights into
- blasphemes
- harries
- belittles
- insults
- vilifies
- chastises
- beats up on
- jumps (on)
- affronts
- slanders
- fulminates
- rebukes
- bad-mouths
- execrates
- slurs
- profanes
- libels
- traduces
- blackguards
- curses
- whips
- imprecates
- reprimands
- asperses
- puts down
- laces (into)
- lashes (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- commends
- praises
- lauds
- hails
- compliments
- acclaims
3
as in licks
to strike repeatedly like all westerns, this movie contains the requisite scene of saloon patrons lambasting each other Synonyms & Similar Words
- licks
- does
- slaps
- beats
- knocks
- attacks
- hides
- slams
- smashes
- pounds
- pummels
- bashes
- raids
- hits
- punches
- whips
- thrashes
- bludgeons
- flogs
- bastes
- belabors
- wallops
- mauls
- lathers
- thumps
- works over
- switches
- clubs
- threshes
- drubs
- hammers
- assails
- assaults
- slogs
- buffets
- slates
- lashes
- punches out
- fibs
- smacks
- batters
- whales
- tans
- bats
- pelts
- whaps
- birches
- tromps
- curries
- paddles
- whups
- belts
- pommels
- whops
- beats up on
- bungs up
- laces
- whacks
- pastes
- besets
- rushes
- spanks
- clobbers
- whams
- thwacks
- boxes
- swats
- chops
- roughs (up)
- clouts
- swipes
- cracks
- messes (up)
- cudgels
- lacerates
- flagellates
- lams
- lays on
- mangles
- cuffs
- socks
- busts
- whomps
- storms
- horsewhips
- scourges
- mutilates
- straps
- maims
- gores
- canes
- leathers
- wounds
- blackjacks
- rawhides
- cowhides
- descends (on or upon)
- fustigates
- jumps (on)
- pistol-whips
- pounces (on or upon)