earful

[ eer-fool ]
See synonyms for earful on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural ear·fuls.
  1. an outpouring of oral information or advice, especially when given without solicitation.

  2. a sharp verbal rebuke; a scolding.

Origin of earful

1
First recorded in 1915–20; ear1 + -ful

usage note For earful

See -ful.

Words Nearby earful

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use earful in a sentence

  • Maybe Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, or even President Obama, want to give you an earful.

    The Guy Who's Really to Blame? | Allan Dodds Frank | March 17, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Oh, yes, the neighbors certainly got an earful, as the town gossips proved when the divorce suit seeped into the papers.

    Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower
  • Out thar, Jode won't be hangin' around, shufflin' the dishes en tryin' to get an earful.

    David Lannarck, Midget | George S. Harney
  • Go ahead an' spit 'er out—an' believe me, it'll be an earful!

  • I am with you if you will but give me half an earful of your plans.

  • But, believe me, Don, I gave him an earful when we got ashore that night.

    The Viking Blood | Frederick William Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for earful

earful

/ (ˈɪəfʊl) /


nouninformal
  1. something heard or overheard

  2. a rebuke or scolding, esp a lengthy or severe one

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012