scold
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to find fault; reprove.
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to use abusive language.
noun
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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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unscoldedadjective
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scoldableadjective
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scoldernoun
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outscoldverb (used with object)
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scoldinglyadverb
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scoldingnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have scoldedperfect
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has scoldedperfect 3rd person singular
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is scoldingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been scoldingperfect progressive
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am scoldingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been scoldingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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scoldssingular 3rd person
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scoldingparticiple
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are scoldingprogressive
Past
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had scoldedperfect
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were scoldingprogressive plural
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had been scoldingperfect progressive
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scoldedsimple
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was scoldingprogressive singular
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scoldedparticiple
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
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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.
"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
Jorginho alleged that, after the girl sat down, a “large security guard” interrupted their breakfast to scold them.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
“You can’t degrade the travel experience for decades and then scold people for dressing to endure the experience,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026
As soon as Ivan and Yedsha were gone around the trees, Anya expected Babulya to scold her about doing the exact thing she had warned Anya away from that morning.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
