Standard Lemma guide

lapidate

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈlæpɪˌdeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To throw stones or other objects at, as punishment, sometimes until death.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stone

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To hurl insults at.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

throw stones at

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Pilgrims lapidate a stone pillar in commemoration of Abraham's temptation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pelt, bombard

4

verb

Meaning 4

kill by throwing stones at

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • People wanted to stone the woman who had a child out of wedlock

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stone

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: kill

History

Etymology

First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin lapidātus, perfect passive participle of lapidō (“to throw stones at”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from lapis (“stone”).

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: քարկոծել (kʻarkocel) — stone to death
  • Bulgarian: пребивам с камъни (prebivam s kamǎni) — stone to death
  • Catalan: lapidar — stone to death
  • Dutch: stenigen — stone to death
  • Esperanto: ŝtonmortigi — stone to death
  • Finnish: kivittää — stone to death
  • French: lapider — stone to death
  • Italian: lapidare — stone to death
  • Latin: lapido — stone to death
  • Polish: kamienować — stone to death
  • Polish: ukamienować — stone to death
  • Turkish: taşlamak — stone to death
  • Finnish: soimata — to hurl insults