fustigate

US: (fus′ti gāt′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fus•ti•gate  (fus′ti gāt′), v.t., -gat•ed, -gat•ing. 

1. to cudgel; beat;
   punish severely.
2. to criticize harshly;
   castigate:
   a new satire that fustigates bureaucratic shilly-shallying.

• Late Latin fūstīgātus, past participle of fūstigāre to cudgel, derivative of Latin fūstis cudgel; for formation, see fumigate
• 1650–60

fus′ti•ga′tion, n. 
fus′ti•ga′tor, n. 
fus•ti•ga•to•ry  (fus′ti gə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē), adj.