scold
Americanverb (used with object)
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scolds,
present (3rd person singular)
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scolded,
past participle, past
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scolding
present participle
verb (used without object)
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scolds,
present (3rd person singular)
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scolded,
past participle, past
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scolding
present participle
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to find fault; reprove.
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to use abusive language.
noun
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scolds
plural
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a person who is constantly scolding, often with loud and abusive speech.
verb
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to find fault with or reprimand (a person) harshly; chide
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(intr) to use harsh or abusive language
noun
Usage
What does scold mean? Scold means to angrily or harshly tell someone that they've said or done something you think is wrong, often with the intent of making them feel bad about it so that they don't do it againA person may scold both other people and animals when they do something wrong. When it comes to people, it is often adults scolding children. The noun scold refers to a person who frequently judges other people or points out their faults. This sense of the word is almost always used negatively to imply that such a person scolds too much or is often angry. Example: My dad scolded my dog after it chewed up the couch.
Synonym Usage
See reproach.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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scoldernoun
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scoldingnoun
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outscoldverb (used with object)
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scoldableadjective
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unscoldedadjective
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scoldinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scoldsimple
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scoldssimple
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have scoldedperfect
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has scoldedperfect
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am scoldingprogressive
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are scoldingprogressive
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is scoldingprogressive
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have been scoldingperfect progressive
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has been scoldingperfect progressive
Past
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scoldedsimple
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had scoldedperfect
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was scoldingprogressive
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were scoldingprogressive
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had been scoldingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scold
First recorded in 1150–1200; (noun) Middle English, variant of scald, from Old Norse skald “poet” (as author of insulting poems); see skald; (verb) Middle English scolden, derivative of the noun
Explanation
When you scold someone, you (often angrily) point out and criticize some fault or error. If you forget again to clean up your room, your mom might scold you for it. Scold can also be used as a noun to describe a person who irritates people by finding fault in everything. Your great aunt Merna, who during the holidays complains about her gifts, criticizes your weight, says the turkey is too dry, and the stuffing is soggy? She's a scold. Maybe she's cranky. Which brings us to the other way we can use scold as a verb: to grumble, grouch, or generally express one's crankiness. This latter meaning has more to do with the attitude of the scolder than the faults of the one being scolded.
Vocabulary lists containing scold
Instead of "Said": Vexed Verbiage to Express Anger
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Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Wasn't Me: The Lingo of Laying Blame
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It could have even been to scold Russian President Vladimir Putin.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
"I really want to give it up. Every day I scold myself and tell myself to quit: no more, no more."
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
As Mr. Clark tells us, an allegation against the pastors was set in motion in 1835 by Count Finck von Finckenstein, a nasty moral scold and the villain of the story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
"Now I'm braver, so I go along with it when they scold me."
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2025
I hoped she had fallen back to sleep, since the old cook liked to scold.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Americans are funny like that: We tend to feel we know better than pinch-lipped moral scolds what’s best for our lives.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
"You should have been united and thought in a politically intelligent way to ensure we got one or two women elected," she scolds the women.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
Viorst, who scolds herself and peers for whining too much, says life is too short for hurt feelings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
And when moral scolds seized on excerpts of “Ulysses” — citing the Comstock Act’s ban on sending “obscene” material via U.S. mail — she protested.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
“Why are you wasting time with a boy like that?” she scolds.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
District Judge Dolly M. Gee scolded a pair of government attorneys from her bench in Los Angeles, signaling she would probably appoint a new special master to force compliance with the settlement agreement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Her sister-in-law, Millicent Sedra, also spoke and scolded women who expect husbands to share housework.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Novelist Dame Jilly Cooper scolded the team behind Rivals and told them to stop making her "macho men" cry on screen, an executive producer on the show has said.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
The judge scolded the billionaire at least twice—once for his social media usage and second for saying if he loses this case, it’ll mean trouble for all charities in America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
The Pittsburg Post scolded, “It is not very manly or very dignified to slander a lady when she is not present.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
The announcement also follows previous comments from Grande scolding people to “be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies.”
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
"I had imagined us being together until we're old, her scolding me until we're old, but now I can't hear her voice any more."
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
In 2018, he issued his most famous scolding, decrying the court’s failure to take up California’s 10-day waiting period.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Porter was initially viewed as having a potential edge in the race, but her prospects dimmed after videos emerged in October of the UC Irvine law professor scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
“Poe, you know better,” she said, scolding the small boy as Abby took my hand in hers.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
