reproachfully

American  

[ri-prohch-fuh-lee] / rɪˈproʊtʃ fə li /

adverb

1. in a way that expresses disapproval, blame, or censure.

   She did not answer, just looked at him reproachfully.

   A few of the other students glared reproachfully at me sitting in the back of the room.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unreproachfully
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of reproachfully

reproachful ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When someone looks at you reproachfully, they’re expressing disappointment or disapproval, like the way your dog might look at you after you forget to feed him. The word reproachfully comes from the Middle English word reprochen, meaning "to rebuke" or "to blame." When someone looks at you reproachfully, they’re expressing disappointment or disapproval, letting you know they’re not happy with something you did or didn’t do. Picture the way a friend might look at you after you cancel plans at the last minute, or the way a teacher speaks to someone when they forget to turn in their homework for the third time in one week.