denounce
Meaning: to criticize publicly
Usage: The senator denounced her opponent as a greedy politician.
chastise
Meaning: to criticize severely
Usage: After being chastised by her peers for mimicking Britney Spears, Miranda dyed her hair black and affected a Gothic style.
disparage
Meaning: to criticize or speak ill of
Usage: The saleswoman disparaged the competitor’s products to persuade her customers to buy what she was selling.
decry
Meaning: to criticize openly
Usage: The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging customers late fees.
admonish
Meaning: to caution, criticize, reprove
Usage: Joe’s mother admonished him not to ruin his appetite by eating cookies before dinner.