v. Also -ise. [f. CRITIC or L. critic-us + -IZE.]
1. intr. To play the critic; to pass judgment upon something with respect to its merits or faults. (Often connoting unfavorable judgment.)
1649. Milton, Eikon., xxiv. 491. To let goe his Criticizing about the sound of Prayers.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., Introd. (1708), 2. They, who can criticize so weakly, as to imagine I have done my worst.
1753. Mrs. Delany, Let. Mrs. Dewes, 7 April. Her character is pretty; though had I time I could criticise.
a. 1862. Buckle, Civiliz., III. v. 316. They who criticize are unable to discern the great principle which pervades the whole.
† b. with on or upon; = sense 2. Obs.
1657. J. Sergeant, Schism Dispach’t, 15. Who can most dexterously and artificially criticize upon words.
1748. Hartley, Observ. Man, I. i. ¶ 61. 213. We criticize much upon the Beauty of Faces.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 245. To criticise on the use that is made of it.
1810. Southey, in Life (1850), III. 277. It requires a knowledge of that art to criticise upon the structure of verse.
2. trans. To discuss critically; to offer judgment upon with respect to merits or faults; to animadvert upon.
1665. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 354. Concerning the word Tharsish, so much criticiz’d, it is Verbum ambiguum and admits a various sence.
1724. Bolingbroke, in Swift’s Lett. (1766), II. 39. The verses I sent you are very bad…. You would do them too much honour, if you criticized them.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. II. v. 193. Men began boldly to criticize the rights of kings and the duties of subjects.
1880. Mac Cormac, Antisept. Surg., 49. I will now pass on to criticise a paper recently published.
b. To censure, find fault with.
1704. Swift, T. Tub, Concl. To criticise his gait, and ridicule his dress.
1779. Johnson, Lett. Mrs. Thrale, 11 Oct. The gout that was in my ankles when Queeney criticised my gait.
1884. trans. Lotze’s Logic, 131. I am not afraid that anyone will criticise this … on the ground that it has nothing to do with logic.
Hence Criticizing vbl. sb. and ppl. a.; Criticizingly adv.
1649. [see CRITICIZE 1].
1772. Mad. D’Arblay, Early Diary (1889), I. 161. So criticizing an eye.
1859. Sala, Tw. round Clock (1861), 115. They … eye her approvingly, and the bridesmaids criticisingly.
