Critical - English meaning

adjective

(of an unpleasant or unwelcome situation or phenomenon) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree.

Usage examples:

An acute housing shortage

noun

Short for acute accent.

adjective

If a bad situation is acute, it causes severe problems or damage

Usage examples:

She felt acute embarrassment/anxiety/concern at his behaviour., the problem of poverty is particula…

adjective

Another term for analytical.

adjective

Examining or liking to examine things in detail, in order to discover more about them

Usage examples:

New analytic techniques in biology are allowing scientists to study the cell in more detail., the a…

adjective

Relating to or using logic (= a formal scientific method of examining or thinking about ideas)

Usage examples:

This book is one of the masterpieces of analytic philosophy.

adjective

Relating to or using analysis or logical reasoning.

Usage examples:

Analytical methods

adjective

Examining or liking to examine things in detail, in order to discover more about them

Usage examples:

He has a very analytical mind., some students have a more analytical approach to learning.

adjective

Severely critical of others.

Usage examples:

Censorious champions of morality

adjective

Often criticizing other people

Usage examples:

His censorious attitude to those who do not share his opinions

adjective

Involving risks and uncertainty.

Usage examples:

Football coaching is a chancy business

adjective

Involving risk

Usage examples:

The show’s financing was chancy, and that made us all nervous.

adjective

Involving the possibility of something bad happening

Usage examples:

Investing in the stock market is a chancy business.

adjective

Expressing strong disapproval; censorious.

Usage examples:

Condemnatory statements

adjective

Expressing strong criticism or disapproval

Usage examples:

A condemnatory speech/tone, the government is particularly condemnatory of academic elites.

verb

Express complete disapproval of; censure.

Usage examples:

Most leaders roundly condemned the attack

verb

Present participle of condemn

Usage examples:

The terrorist action has been condemned as an act of barbarism and cowardice., the film was condemn…

verb

To criticize something or someone strongly, usually for moral reasons

Usage examples:

The terrorist action has been condemned as an act of barbarism and cowardice., the film was condemn…

verb

Indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way.

Usage examples:

The opposition criticized the government's failure to consult adequately

verb

Present participle of criticize

verb

To express disapproval of someone or something

Usage examples:

The government is being widely criticized in the media for failing to limit air pollution., we'll g…

adjective

Able or likely to cause harm or injury.

Usage examples:

A dangerous animal

adjective

Able or likely to cause harm or death, or unpleasant problems

Usage examples:

Dangerous chemicals/bacteria, whooping cough is most dangerous for infants., dangerously high winds

adjective

A dangerous person, animal, thing, or activity could harm you

Usage examples:

Dangerous chemicals, the men are armed and dangerous., his parents won't let him play ice hockey be…

adjective

Expressing disapproval; disapproving.

Usage examples:

That can seem like a loss of regard for others’ feelings, as if we had become more self-centred, th…

adjective

Showing that you think something is of little value or importance, or that you do not approve of it

Usage examples:

He was forced to resign after making deprecatory remarks about the museum's new exhibits., hardly a…

adjective

Showing that you feel embarrassed, especially by praise

Usage examples:

He gave a soft, deprecatory laugh., she waved her hand in a deprecatory manner.

adjective

Feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with.

Usage examples:

A desperate sadness enveloped ruth

adjective

Showing a willingness to take any risk in order to change a bad or dangerous situation

Usage examples:

The ads are a desperate attempt to win last-minute votes., desperate criminals, there’s a desperate…

adjective

Very serious or bad

Usage examples:

Desperate poverty, desperate shortage the refugees are living in camps, where there's a desperate s…

adjective

Unpredictable and potentially dangerous.

Usage examples:

Food supplies have been dicey in recent months

adjective

Not certain or safe; risky

Usage examples:

Things are going to be a bit dicey until we know whether the budget was approved.

adjective

Slightly dangerous or uncertain

Usage examples:

The company's finances look a little dicey.

adjective

Extremely serious or urgent.

Usage examples:

Misuse of drugs can have dire consequences

adjective

Very serious or extreme

Usage examples:

Cheating will bring dire consequences.

adjective

Very bad

Usage examples:

I thought her latest book was dire!

adjective

Expressing an unfavourable opinion.

Usage examples:

He shot a disapproving glance at her

verb

Have or express an unfavourable opinion.

Usage examples:

Bob strongly disapproved of drinking and driving

adjective

Showing that you feel something or someone is bad or wrong

Usage examples:

A disapproving look

adjective

Expressing the opinion that something is of little worth; derogatory.

Usage examples:

Disparaging remarks about council houses

verb

Regard or represent as being of little worth.

Usage examples:

He never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors

adjective

Criticizing someone, in a way that shows you do not respect or value them

Usage examples:

Disparaging remarks

adjective

Dishonest or unreliable.

Usage examples:

A dodgy second-hand car salesman

adjective

Dishonest

Usage examples:

A dodgy deal, they got involved with a dodgy businessman and lost all their savings.

adjective

Likely to fail or cause problems

Usage examples:

The weather might be a bit dodgy at this time of year., i can't come in to work today - i've got a …

adjective

Based on or relating to an assessment to form an idea of the value of something.

Usage examples:

Supervisors are making evaluative judgements of their work

adjective

Involving judging or calculating the quality, importance, amount, or value of something

Usage examples:

Evaluative research, evaluative models provide a standard of quality.

adjective

Serving to explain something.

Usage examples:

Explanatory notes

adjective

Helping to make something clear or understandable

Usage examples:

An explanatory note

adjective

Giving an explanation about something

Usage examples:

Explanatory note there are explanatory notes with the diagram., the kit comes complete with an expl…

adjective

Giving an explanation about something

Usage examples:

The book is a combination of line drawings alternating with explicative text., the model's purpose …

adjective

Intended to explain or describe something.

Usage examples:

An expository prologue

adjective

Explaining or describing an event or situation

Usage examples:

Expository writing

adjective

Explaining or describing something

Usage examples:

Expository writing

noun

A hole dug in the ground to receive a coffin or dead body, typically marked by a stone or mound.

Usage examples:

The coffin was lowered into the grave

adjective

Giving cause for alarm; serious.

Usage examples:

A matter of grave concern

noun

Another term for grave accent.

adjective

Covered with hair.

Usage examples:

A hairy chest

adjective

Risky; dangerous.

Usage examples:

We work in hazardous conditions

adjective

Dangerous and involving risk, especially to someone's health

Usage examples:

Hazardous industries/materials/substances

adjective

Full of uncertainty; doubtful.

Usage examples:

The prospect for classes resuming next wednesday seems iffy

idiom

If a situation is in the balance, it has reached a stage where it will soon be decided one way or another

Usage examples:

The future of his shops and those of his 57 staff are in the balance., hang in the balance the game…

adjective

Relating to or providing an interpretation.

Usage examples:

Activities designed to reinforce students' interpretative skills

adjective

Related to explaining or understanding the meaning of something

Usage examples:

An interpretive display/centre

adjective

Of or concerning the use of judgement.

Usage examples:

Judgemental decisions about the likelihood of company survival

adjective

Tending to form opinions too quickly, esp. when disapproving of someone or something

Usage examples:

I’m trying not to be judgmental about my daughter’s new boyfriend.

adjective

Able to cause death

Usage examples:

A life-threatening experience/illness

adjective

Consisting in or characterized by the absence rather than the presence of distinguishing features.

Usage examples:

The records of her transaction, and loan would have been available and in their absence i draw a ne…

noun

A word or statement that expresses denial, disagreement, or refusal.

Usage examples:

She replied in the negative

verb

Refuse to accept; reject.

Usage examples:

The bill was negatived on second reading by 130 votes to 129

adjective

Full of danger or risk.

Usage examples:

A perilous journey south

adjective

Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.

Usage examples:

A precarious ladder

adjective

In danger because not firmly fixed; likely to fall or suffer harm

Usage examples:

I climbed onto a precarious platform to get a better view., the vase was precariously perched on a …

adjective

Conveying or expressing blame or disapproval.

Usage examples:

A reproving glance

verb

Reprimand (someone).

Usage examples:

He was reproved for obscenity

adjective

Showing that you disapprove of someone's bad or silly behaviour

Usage examples:

She threw him an angry and reproving look/glance., his tone was mildly reproving.

adjective

Full of the possibility of danger, failure, or loss.

Usage examples:

It was much too risky to try to disarm him

adjective

Involving the possibility that something bad might happen or that something will fail or lose money

Usage examples:

Even over the long run, stocks are risky., a risky asset/investment, the travel sector is risky for…

adjective

Witheringly scornful; severely critical.

Usage examples:

She launched a scathing attack on the prime minister

verb

Harm; injure.

Usage examples:

He was barely scathed

adjective

Severely critical and unkind

Usage examples:

He delivered a scathing attack on the president.

adjective

Demanding or characterized by careful consideration or application.

Usage examples:

Marriage is a serious matter

adjective

Not joking; not intended to amuse

Usage examples:

You can never tell when he’s serious., that’s an interesting job offer – i’d give it serious consid…

adjective

Not able to be relied on; not known or definite.

Usage examples:

An uncertain future

adjective

Unclear, or not sure

Usage examples:

She faces an uncertain future., we’re uncertain of the cause of death., [ u ] they live in uncertai…

adjective

Expressing or showing a lack of approval or support.

Usage examples:

Single mothers are often the target of unfavourable press attention

adjective

Not good, and likely to cause problems or prevent success

Usage examples:

Other countries may lure private equity executives offshore if the tax regime in britain became unf…

adjective

Not giving you an advantage or a good chance of success

Usage examples:

Current conditions are very unfavourable for new businesses., we have to be prepared for an unfavou…

adjective

Not feeling, showing, or expressing sympathy.

Usage examples:

I'm not being unsympathetic, but i can't see why you put up with him

adjective

Not sympathetic (= showing that you understand or care about someone's suffering)