animadvert

/ˌˈænəmˈædˌvʌrt/

Other forms: animadverted; animadverting; animadverts

When you animadvert upon something, you criticize it openly and harshly. A high school debater might animadvert on the subject of the death penalty, for example.

The verb animadvert is a great word to use when you need a formal way to talk about a public condemnation of something or someone. A tourist might animadvert upon the entire country of Italy after a disappointing vacation there, or a politician might take advantage of a public forum to animadvert on the issue of high taxes. The Latin root word is animadvertere, "to notice or take cognizance of," or "to censure, blame, or punish."

Definitions of animadvert

1. verb

   express blame or censure or make a harshly critical remark
   type of:

   censure, criminate, reprimand

   rebuke formally
2. verb

   express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation
   synonyms: opine, sound off, speak out, speak up

   types:

   editorialise, editorialize

   insert personal opinions into an objective statement

   type of:

   declare

   state emphatically and authoritatively