chide
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to rebuke or scold
-
(tr) to goad into action
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
chidernoun
-
unchidadjective
-
unchiddenadjective
-
unchidedadjective
-
unchidingadjective
-
chidinglyadverb
-
unchidinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
chidesimple
-
chidessimple
-
have chidperfect
-
have chiddenperfect
-
have chidedperfect
-
has chidperfect
-
has chiddenperfect
-
has chidedperfect
-
am chidingprogressive
-
are chidingprogressive
-
is chidingprogressive
-
have been chidingperfect progressive
-
has been chidingperfect progressive
Past
-
chidsimple
-
chidedsimple
-
had chidperfect
-
had chiddenperfect
-
had chidedperfect
-
was chidingprogressive
-
were chidingprogressive
-
had been chidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chide
before 1000; Middle English chiden, Old English cīdan
Explanation
To chide someone is to ride them or get on their case, without really getting in their face. People have been nagging since well before the 12th century, when the word chide came along as a new way to say "complain" or "rail." If you want to remind someone of a flaw they have or an error they keep repeating, you might chide them with sarcasm, humor, or some seriousness. Where a sharp elbow in the ribs lets you know "Stop it, right now!," a chide is more like a gentle elbow in the belly, saying "Come on, you're late; did you forget your watch again?"
Vocabulary lists containing chide
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Advanced English 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!
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Lead author of the research Dr Baptiste Chide told news agency Reuters: "These discharges represent a major discovery, with direct implications for Martian atmospheric chemistry, climate, habitability and the future of robotic and human exploration."
From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025
"Chide him no more, Sire, if it please you," said Lord Darrin.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
A long case in which Chide had been engaged had come to an end the preceding day.
From The Testing of Diana Mallory by Ward, Humphry, Mrs.
Curiously enough, the only convincing men that appear in her pages are old men—men like Lord Maxwell or Sir James Chide.
From Essays on Modern Novelists by Phelps, William Lyon
Chide me, dear stone! that I may say indeed Thou art Hermione; or rather thou art she In thy not chiding, for she was as tender As infancy and grace.
From Characteristics of Women Moral, Poetical, and Historical by Jameson, Mrs. (Anna)
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.
