Fustigare

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To strike or whip someone, often used in a figurative sense as to criticize severely or reprimand harshly
2. To beat or chastise physically; to berate someone verbally or morally for their actions
3. To inflict punishment through flogging or beating; to scold or reproach someone for their wrongdoing

Etymology: Fustigare comes from Latin "fustigare," meaning to beat with a cudgel or stick. The Latin noun "fustis" referred to a wooden staff or club, and the verb was built on it, with the "-igare" ending that appears in many Latin verbs of doing something to something. The English verb entered the language much later, borrowed directly from Latin during the early modern period, when scholars and writers were eagerly importing classical vocabulary. The meaning stayed close to the original physical sense for a long time. To fustigate someone was to thrash them, and only afterward did it extend to attacking a person verbally. Today the figurative sense dominates, so a critic who fustigates a policy is figuratively beating it with a stick, which is precisely the image the Latin word carried from the start.

Synonyms: to beat, to flog, to whip, to lash, to thrash

Antonyms: to soothe, to comfort, to caress, to heal, to aid