vapulear

Senses

1. 1.

   to whip; to lash

   to strike with a whip or similar implement

2. 2.

   to criticize harshly; to censure

   to rebuke or condemn severely

Examples

• "El jinete vapuleó al caballo para que corriera más rápido."

  The rider whipped the horse to make it run faster.

• "La prensa vapuleó al político por sus promesas incumplidas."

  The press harshly criticized the politician for his broken promises.

• "Sus comentarios fueron vapuleados por la audiencia."

  His remarks were severely censured by the audience.

Usage

Formal or literary register. The literal sense (to whip) is less common in modern usage than the figurative sense (to criticize harshly). Often used with passive voice when referring to criticism.