All 3 Uses of
critical
in
The Great Gatsby
- "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
p. 1.2 *criticizing = giving an opinion of what is wrong with somethingstandard suffix: The suffix "-ize" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.
- I've heard it said that Daisy's murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming.
p. 9.2criticism = sharing an unfavorable opinion
- I had heard some story of her too, a critical, unpleasant story, but what it was I had forgotten long ago.
p. 18.4critical = unfavorable (pointing to a fault)
Definitions:
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(1)
(critical as in: a critical problem) important, serious, or dangerous
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(2)
(critical as in: don't be so critical) finding fault and telling others; or tending to have unfavorable opinions
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(3)
(critical as in: critical acclaim) relating to careful analysis or thoughtful judgement of what is good and bad about something -- possibly from people whose job is to share their expert opinions in a given industry
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(4)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
See a comprehensive dictionary for more specialized senses of critical including those in mathematics and nuclear energy.