ostracize
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ostracize
- /ˈɒstɹəsaɪz/ UK
- /ˈɑstɹəˌsaɪz/
- /ˈɒstɹəˌsaɪz/ Canada, dialectal
- /ˈɔstɹəsɑez/ Australia
- /ˈɒstɹəsaɪz/ New Zealand
- [ˈɔ̟stɹəsɑe̯z] New Zealand
Where it comes from
From Ancient Greek ὀστρακίζω (ostrakízō, “to banish from a city by ostracism”), from ὄστρᾰκον (óstrăkon, “earthenware vessel; fragment of such a vessel, potsherd”) (from the fact that when voting was held to decide whether to banish people, their names were inscribed on potsherds) + -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō, suffix forming verbs)). The English word is cognate with French ostraciser.
verb ostracizes · ostracizing · ostracized · ostracise
- To ban a person from a city for five or ten years through the procedure of ostracism. Republics have been accused of being ungrateful. Aristides was ostracised for being called the Just, and Themistocles banished, after saving his country from desolation.
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To exclude a person from a community or from society by not communicating with them or by refusing to acknowledge their presence; to refuse to associate with or talk to; to shun.
You then moſt Noble Equivocations and Alluſions, whom Rhetorick would Oſtraciſe, ſeek Revenge for your Baniſhment; [...]
Similar: blackball, cut someone dead, give someone the cold shoulder, send to Coventry, leper, brush off, discount, disregard, dissemble, despise, ignore, misheed · Opposite: attend, clock, consider, give heed, heed, let in on, mark, mind, notice, pass, pay attention, pay heed
Translations
Every language
verb to ban a person from a city for five or ten years by the procedure of ostracism
| Español | ostracizar |
|---|---|
| Português | ostracizar |
| Français | ostraciser |
| Deutsch | ostrakisieren |
| Italiano | ostracizzare |
| Ελληνικά | οστρακίζω ostrakízo |
| Română | ostraciza |
verb to exclude a person from a community or from society by not communicating with them or by refusing to acknowledge their presence
| Español | aislar, excluir, marginar, ostracizar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 放逐 fàngzhú, 流放 liúfàng |
| Português | ostracizar, excluir |
| Français | ostraciser, mettre au ban |
| Deutsch | ächten, ausgrenzen, ausschließen, bannen, verfemen, verbannen |
| Italiano | ostracizzare, bandire, escludere |
| Ελληνικά | εξοστρακίζω exostrakízo, εξοβελίζω exovelízo, οστρακίζω ostrakízo |
| Русский | отлуча́ть otlučátʹ, отлучи́ть otlučítʹ |
Talk about this word "ostracize." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ostracize. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. ostracize. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ostracize "ostracize." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ostracize.Cite this
@misc{ostracize_2026,
title = {ostracize},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ostracize},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
