flagellate
verb
\
Definition of flagellate
(Entry 1 of 3)
flagellate
adjective
, -ˌlāt
; flə-ˈje-lət
\
Definition of flagellate (Entry 2 of 3)
flagellate
noun
, -ˌlāt
; flə-ˈje-lət
\
Definition of flagellate (Entry 3 of 3)
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for flagellate
Synonyms: Verb
birch, cowhide, flail, flog, hide, horsewhip, lash, leather, rawhide, scourge, slash, switch, tan, thrash, whale, whip
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of flagellate in a Sentence
Verb
some medieval monks believed it was necessary to flagellate themselves in order to keep their desires in checkRecent Examples on the Web: Verb
And what’s up with those zealous, self-flagellating fauns? — Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, "Carnival Row showrunners break down that season finale, tease what's to come in season 2," 31 Aug. 2019 Afghan Shiite Muslims flagellated themselves with chains on Thursday during a mourning procession commemorating Ashura, in Herat, Afghanistan. — Ehsanullah Amiri, WSJ, "‘Die If Necessary’; Targeted Afghan Minority Prepares to Fight," 21 Sep. 2018 But abstaining from them entirely can make our lives as cramped, joyless, bitter, and self-flagellating as obsessing about our looks does. — Charlotte Shane, The Cut, "I Think About This a Lot: Emily Weiss’s Wedding Prep Routine," 3 Apr. 2018 The central composer was the twentieth-century Russian ascetic Galina Ustvolskaya, who wrote spiritual music of flagellating force. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "The Sonic Fury of the Ojai Music Festival," 24 June 2018 Long distance is a draining, self-flagellating enterprise. — Nicole Clark, The Cut, "The Video Game That Got Me Through My Long-Distance Relationship," 18 Apr. 2018 Next month, Starbucks will have a self-flagellating session to command compassion in its stores. — Stu Bykofsky, Philly.com, "Outside Starbucks, retail trespass arrests are rare in Center City | Stu Bykofsky," 26 Apr. 2018 Tortured, self-flagellating ideas looped in his head. — Christopher Solomon, Outside Online, "The Boy Who Lived on Edges," 22 Mar. 2018 The seven days culminate with a Sunday procession, which includes hundreds of self-flagellating, hooded penitents. — Text By Gaia Pianigiani, New York Times, "Religious Rite Takes Hamlet Back in Time Every Seven Years," 10 Sep. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
With the possible exception of medicine, no other profession self-flagellates (and self-congratulates) over ethics like journalism. — Dan Sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Where is the line on disclosure for journalists?," 23 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flagellate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for flagellate
flagellate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of flagellate
See the full definition for flagellate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
flagellate
adjective
, -ˌlāt; flə-ˈjel-ət
\
Medical Definition of flagellate
(Entry 1 of 2)