1. attacking or criticizing someone harshly in public
Usage: present participle of pillory
2. putting someone in a pillory as punishment
Usage: historical; literal sense

1. the act of publicly attacking or criticizing someone harshly
Usage: gerund form

Examples

• The newspaper was pillorying the mayor for his corrupt practices.
• Critics are pillorying the new policy as ineffective.
• The pillorying of the CEO continued for weeks after the scandal broke.
• She felt the constant pillorying by the media was unfair.
• The town square once featured the pillorying of criminals.
• His pillorying in the press damaged his reputation permanently.
• They’re pillorying him without giving him a chance to explain.