earful

[eer-foo l]

See more synonyms for earful on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ear·fuls.

an outpouring of oral information or advice, especially when given without solicitation.
a sharp verbal rebuke; a scolding.

Origin of earful

First recorded in 1915–20; ear¹ + -ful

Usage note

See -ful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for earful

Contemporary Examples

Best not to ask GOP fundraising legend Georgette Mosbacher about the state of her beloved party unless you want an earful.
Mosbacher: I’m Furious at My Own Party
Michelle Cottle
January 8, 2013
Now that he is back we may get an earful from the Egyptian doctor as he catches up on the world since the new year.
Osama's Top Gun Is Back
Bruce Riedel
May 20, 2010
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

Historical Examples

With the help of Vee's set of books and a little promptin' from her I gives him an earful.
Torchy and Vee
Sewell Ford
With that he gets back to his Reserve Army scheme and he sure does give me an earful.
Torchy and Vee
Sewell Ford
I sure was gettin' an earful of this golf stuff, but I was still awake.
Torchy As A Pa
Sewell Ford
But, believe me, Don, I gave him an earful when we got ashore that night.
The Viking Blood
Frederick William Wallace
I can give Mr. Silverton an earful about that workman of his!
Dan Carter Cub Scout
Mildred A. Wirt

British Dictionary definitions for earful

earful

noun informal

something heard or overheard
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

Word Origin and History for earful

n.

"a piece of one's mind," 1917, from ear (n.1) + -ful.

earful

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}earful

Usage note

Examples from the Web for earful

Contemporary Examples

Best not to ask GOP fundraising legend Georgette Mosbacher about the state of her beloved party unless you want an earful.

Now that he is back we may get an earful from the Egyptian doctor as he catches up on the world since the new year.

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

Historical Examples

With the help of Vee's set of books and a little promptin' from her I gives him an earful.

With that he gets back to his Reserve Army scheme and he sure does give me an earful.

I sure was gettin' an earful of this golf stuff, but I was still awake.

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

I can give Mr. Silverton an earful about that workman of his!

earful

Word Origin and History for earful

n.

Origin of earful