Word Study
crucify
CIDE DICTIONARY
crucify, v. t. [F. crucifier, fr. (assumed) LL. crucificare, for crucifigere, fr, L. crux, crucis, cross + figere to fix, the ending -figere being changed to -ficare, F. -fier (in compounds), as if fr. L. facere to do, make. See Cross, and Fix, and cf. Crucifix.].
- To fasten to a cross; to put to death by nailing the hands and feet to a cross or gibbet. [1913 Webster]"They cried, saying, Crucify him, cricify him." [1913 Webster]
- To destroy the power or ruling influence of; to subdue completely; to mortify. [1913 Webster]"They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." [1913 Webster]
- To vex or torment. Beau. & FL. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
crucify, v.tr. (-ies, -ied)
1 put to death by fastening to a cross.
2 a cause extreme pain to. b persecute, torment. c sl. defeat thoroughly in an argument, match, etc.
1 put to death by fastening to a cross.
2 a cause extreme pain to. b persecute, torment. c sl. defeat thoroughly in an argument, match, etc.
Derivative
crucifier n.
Etymology
ME f. OF crucifier f. LL crucifigere (as CRUCIFIX)
THESAURUS
crucify
abuse, afflict, aggrieve, agonize, ail, bedevil, befoul, behead, bewitch, bite, blight, bloody, bother, bowstring, browbeat, burn, chafe, claw, condemn, convulse, corrupt, curse, cut, damage, decapitate, decollate, defenestrate, defile, deprave, despoil, destroy, disadvantage, disserve, distress, do a mischief, do evil, do ill, do wrong, do wrong by, doom, electrocute, envenom, excruciate, execute, fester, fret, gall, garrote, get into trouble, give pain, gnaw, grate, grind, gripe, guillotine, harass, harm, harrow, hex, hurt, impair, impale, infect, inflame, inflict capital punishment, inflict pain, injure, irritate, jinx, kill by inches, lacerate, lancinate, lapidate, macerate, maltreat, martyr, martyrize, menace, mistreat, molest, nip, outrage, pain, persecute, pierce, pinch, play havoc with, play hob with, poison, pollute, prejudice, prick, prolong the agony, punish, put to death, put to torture, rack, rankle, rasp, rip, rub, savage, scarify, scathe, shoot, smite, stab, sting, stone, strangle, taint, threaten, torment, torture, try, tweak, twist, violate, wound, wreak havoc on, wring, wrongROGET THESAURUS
crucify
Punishment
VB punish, chastise, chasten, castigate, correct, inflict punishment, administer correction, deal retributive justice, cowhide, lambaste, visit upon, pay, pay out, serve out, do for, make short work of, give a lesson to, serve one right, make an example of, have a rod in pickle for, give it one, strike, deal a blow to, administer the lash, smite, slap, slap the face, smack, cuff, box the ears, spank, thwack, thump, beat, lay on, swinge, buffet, thresh, thrash, pummel, drub, leather, trounce, sandbag, baste, belabor, lace, lace one's jacket, dress, dress down, give a dressing, trim, warm, wipe, tund, cob, bang, strap, comb, lash, lick, larrup, wallop, whop, flog, scourge, whip, birch, cane, give the stick, switch, flagellate, horsewhip, bastinado, towel, rub down with an oaken towel, rib roast, dust one's jacket, fustigate, pitch into, lay about one, beat black and blue, beat to a mummy, beat to a jelly, give a black eye, tar and feather, pelt, stone, lapidate, masthead, keelhaul, execute, bring to the block, bring to the gallows, behead, decapitate, guillotine, decollate, hang, turn off, gibbet, bowstring, hang draw and quarter, shoot, decimate, burn, break on the wheel, crucify, empale, impale, flay, lynch, electrocute, gas, send to the gas chamber, torture, put on, put to the rack, picket, banish, exile, transport, expel, ostracize, rusticate, drum out, dismiss, disbar, disbench, strike off the roll, unfrock, post, suffer, suffer for, suffer punishment, be flogged, be executed, suffer the ultimate penalty, be hanged, come to the gallows, mount the gallows, swing, twist in the wind, dance upon nothing, die in one's shoes, be rightly served, be electrocuted, fry, ride the lightning, face the firing squad.Painfulness
VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.Physical Pain
VB feel pain, experience pain, suffer pain, undergo pain, suffer, ache, smart, bleed, tingle, shoot, twinge, twitch, lancinate, writhe, wince, make a wry face, sit on thorns, sit on pins and needles, give pain, inflict pain, lacerate, pain, hurt, chafe, sting, bite, gnaw, gripe, pinch, tweak, grate, gall, fret, prick, pierce, wring, convulse, torment, torture, rack, agonize, crucify, cruciate, excruciate, break on the wheel, put to the rack, flog, grate on the ear.For further exploring for "crucify" in Webster Dictionary Online