lambaste
verb
-ˈbast
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
Ivana Saric, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
The 9th Circuit finally ruled on the case this week (PDF), and judges lambasted the behavior of the Oregon authorities, who had looked at her data without a warrant.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 14 Feb. 2025
The record-breaking victory lap, which lambasted Drake and had everyone and their Presidential candidate’s mother co-opting the phrase, has been an unprecedented rap phenomenon.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lambaste
Cite this Entry
“Lambaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lambaste. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lambaste
verb
Share