lambaste

verb

lam·baste (ˌ)lam-ˈbāst -ˈbast

ˈlam-ˌbāst,

-ˌbast

variants or lambast

lambasted; lambasting; lambastes or lambasts

Synonyms of lambaste

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.

President Trump lambasted Biden over his broad expansion of programs allowing humanitarian entry, known as parole. —Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025 In a frank and welcome speech from a British political leader, Starmer lambasted the previous Tory government for campaigning on taking control of the border and then doing nothing. —The Editors, National Review, 17 May 2025 The president’s comments come days after Springsteen lambasted Trump during the first show of his latest tour with the E Street Band. —Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 16 May 2025 Trump has repeatedly lambasted Harvard in the weeks since the school first came into his crosshairs, including by freezing more than $2 billion in federal funding for the university and threatening to revoke its tax-exempt status. —Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lambaste