Word meaning

ostracize

verb · OS-truh-size

What does ostracize mean?

Ostracize means to exclude someone from a group or society.

Ostracize in a sentence

“The club ostracized anyone who questioned the leader.”

Synonyms for ostracize

  • exclude
  • shun
  • shut out

Where does ostracize come from?

From Greek ostrakon, a pottery shard on which Athenians wrote the name of someone to be banished.

How to remember ostracize

  • Say it out loud a few times: OS-truh-size.
  • Write one sentence of your own using ostracize, about something that happened to you today.
  • Quiz yourself tomorrow, in three days, and next week. Spaced reviews are what make new words stick.

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  • gullible — easily persuaded to believe something; credulous.
  • garner — to gather or collect, especially something valuable like support or praise.
  • fortitude — courage in pain or adversity.

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