earful
Americannoun
-
earfuls
plural
-
an outpouring of oral information or advice, especially when given without solicitation.
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a sharp verbal rebuke; a scolding.
noun
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something heard or overheard
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a rebuke or scolding, esp a lengthy or severe one
Spelling
See -ful.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Before Tom gives the hardened ex-con an earful of what for, he and Anna are shocked silent when their cat strolls into Max’s kitchen.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Executives at Texas Roadhouse got an earful about the pending shortage during October meetings with restaurant managers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
Atkins remains optimistic about her adopted home state, notwithstanding her unsuccessful run for governor and the earful of criticisms she heard along the way,
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
Border Patrol cops loitered on the sidewalks of a popular nightlife strip, where they got an earful from a passerby in a pink pointelle shirt.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2025
I got an earful from Big Ma, but she paid for the mod jumper.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
“I had to go through it that way. … My parents were both mad. That was weeks of earfuls: ‘Man, what are you doing?’
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026
It would have necessitated dozens of mason jars to grocery shop in bulk and earfuls of wax to make my own soap.
From Slate ● Feb. 7, 2022
Jim Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, said his members are reporting that they are getting the biggest earfuls from people who want masks required in schools.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 21, 2021
Those operators tracked me down as well, forwarded the messages, and I’d gotten earfuls from Mom and Dad for neglecting to mention I’d be off the grid during a day of historical tragedy.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2021
"You supplied two good earfuls that time, kid!" said Rolling Stone.
From The Boy Ranchers Among the Indians or, Trailing the Yaquis by Willard F. Baker
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
