ADJ
- bitter, fierce, harsh, heavy, serious, severe, sharp, strident, strong, trenchant
- telling
- A more telling criticism is that he reduces ethics to interpersonal relationships
- adverse, damaging, damning, hostile, negative, scathing
- constructive, fair, just, justifiable, legitimate, valid
- She made a number of valid criticisms
- considerable, extensive, widespread
- constant
- basic, fundamental
- main, major, substantial
- minor, moderate
- general
- direct, explicit, outspoken
- implicit, implied, indirect
- fresh
- Two successive defeats have brought fresh criticism
- growing, increasing, mounting
- media, press
- public
QUANT
- barrage
- The film star faced a barrage of criticism for his behaviour
VERB + CRITICISM
- direct, express, level, make, voice
- Criticism was levelled at senior managers
- attract, be open to, be singled out for, come in for, come under, draw, face, get, meet with, prompt, provoke, receive
- The government came under fierce criticism for its policies. The proposal is open to several important criticisms
- avoid, deflect, escape, forestall, ward off
- She sought to deflect criticism by blaming her family
- accept, meet, reply to, respond to, take
- He finds it hard to take criticism
- counter, dismiss, reject
- She countered my criticisms by saying we had no choice in the matter
- imply
- None of what has been said should be taken to imply criticism
- offer
- to offer criticism and receive it
CRITICISM + VERB
- come from sb
- The harshest criticism came from right-wing ideologists
- centre on sth
- Criticism centred on the lack of information provided
PREP
- ~ about
- The main criticism about the information provided is that it arrives too late
- ~ against
- criticisms against the European single currency
- ~ for
- They received criticism for continuing to supply the faulty goods
- ~ from
- We are bound to face criticism from both sides
- ~ of
- There has been serious criticism of the teaching methods used in the school
- ~ over
- We came in for some sharp criticism over this decision
ADJ
- practical, textual
- academic, art, biblical, cultural, film, historical, literary, music, scientific, social
- feminist, Marxist, structuralist