Other forms: crucified, crucifying, crucifies
To crucify is to put to death on a cross, or to attack savagely. Crucify a prisoner, the press will crucify him, crucify the plan.
The Romans used it as a public execution reserved for slaves and rebels, chosen for its slowness and shame rather than for anything else. The figurative sense is a familiar exaggeration: the papers will crucify you means they will tear you apart.
1verbcrucifyTo put to death on a cross.
“According to the Gospels, Jesus was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem.”
2verbattackTo attack somebody savagely.
“Critics crucified the director's new film, calling it dull and far too long.”
crucify is a killing, or an attacking.
Latin crucifigere means to fix to a cross — crux, a cross, plus figere, to fasten.
Latin
crucificō
Old French
crucefier
Middle English
crucifien
English, today
crucify
From Middle English crucifien, from Old French crucefier, from Latin crucificō, from Latin crucifigō.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA