earful
Americannoun
plural
earfuls-
an outpouring of oral information or advice, especially when given without solicitation.
-
a sharp verbal rebuke; a scolding.
noun
-
something heard or overheard
-
a rebuke or scolding, esp a lengthy or severe one
Spelling
See -ful.
Etymology
Origin of earful
Explanation
When you give someone an earful, you angrily tell the person what you think. Your teacher might give the class an earful when no one has finished yesterday's homework. The informal word earful is good for describing a lengthy reprimand or angry criticism. A furious senator might give her colleagues an earful when they can't reach a compromise, and a frustrated father might give his kids an earful after losing track of them in a busy shopping mall. Earful was first used in the mid-1900's, from the Old English roots eare, or "ear," and the suffix ful, "full or full of."
Vocabulary lists containing earful
Front Desk
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Amari and the Night Brothers
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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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’m sure he’s getting an earful right now of oil prices and people getting really concerned again.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Pap was surely not amused by Savage’s party; he’d already gotten an earful about the previous night’s shenanigans.
From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026
Either way, the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Zone 0 Advisory Committee will likely get an earful of comments during its public meeting Thursday at the Pasadena Convention Center.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025
Wondering why his 83-year-old father, Hep, would choose to fly to Los Angeles for UCLA’s Tuesday game against Minnesota that’s not exactly billed as a showdown, Mick received a sarcastic earful.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2025
Ophie had tried to open the curtains to let in the glorious spring morning sunshine and had gotten an earful, and that was only the beginning.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
