expostulate

American  

[ik-spos-chuh-leyt] / ɪkˈspɒs tʃəˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

expostulated, expostulating

1. to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate.

   His father expostulated with him about the evils of gambling.

   Synonyms:

   counsel, exhort, protest, argue, dispute

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expostulate British  

/ ɪkˈspɒstjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. to argue or reason (with), esp in order to dissuade from an action or intention

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unexpostulating
  adjective
• expostulatory
  adjective
• expostulatingly
  adverb
• expostulation
  noun
• expostulator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of expostulate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin expostulātus “urgently demanded, required” (past participle of expostulāre ); see ex- ¹, postulate

Explanation

When you expostulate, you argue strongly against someone doing something. You might expostulate with your little brother, objecting to his plan to jump off the roof into a pile of leaves. Someone who expostulates has strong opinions about other people's plans or ideas and a desire to convince them to change their minds. You might expostulate about your town's new law banning dogs from coffee shops, arguing against it in a letter to the local newspaper. Expostulate comes from the Latin root word expostulare, meaning "to demand urgently." The English word still contains this urgency, with an added sense of persuasion and reasoned argument.

Example Sentences

Thus will these souls with watery eyes, And hacking of their teeth, With wringing hands, and fearful cries, Expostulate their grief.

From Works of John Bunyan — Volume 03 by Bunyan, John