reproach
[ ri-prohch ]
/ rɪˈproʊtʃ /
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verb (used with object)
noun
SYNONYMS FOR reproach
3 shame.
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Idioms for reproach
beyond / above reproach, not subject to blame or discredit; faultless: She has always been honest and beyond reproach in her business dealings.
Origin of reproach
First recorded in 1375–1425; (noun) late Middle English reproche, from Old French, derivative of reprochier “to reproach,” from unattested Vulgar Latin repropiāre “to bring back near,” equivalent to Latin re- “back, near; again” + Late Latin -propiāre (derivative of Latin prope “near”; see re-, approach); (verb) late Middle English reprochen, from Old French reprochier
synonym study for reproach
1. Reproach, rebuke, scold, reprove imply calling one to account for something done or said. Reproach is censure (often about personal matters, obligations, and the like) given with an attitude of faultfinding and some intention of shaming: to reproach one for neglect. Rebuke suggests sharp or stern reproof given usually formally or officially and approaching reprimand in severity: He rebuked him strongly for laxness in his accounts. Scold suggests that censure is given at some length, harshly, and more or less abusively; it implies irritation, which may be with or without justification: to scold a boy for jaywalking. A word of related meaning, but suggesting a milder or more kindly censure, often intended to correct the fault in question, is reprove : to reprove one for inattention.
historical usage of reproach
In English the noun reproach is a derivative of the verb. The Middle English verb reprochen, “to rebuke, reprove, censure,” comes from Middle French and Old French reprochier “to recall something unpleasant to someone, blame.” Reprochier comes from unattested Vulgar Latin repropiāre “to bring close to, get in someone’s face, upbraid, reproach.” Repropiāre is modeled on Late Latin appropiāre “to approach” (with no sense of blame or rebuke), itself modeled on the Late Latin verb propiāre “to draw near to, approach.” Propiāre is formed from the adverb and preposition prope “near, nearby, close.”
The phrase above reproach “not able to be blamed, faultless” first appeared in 1674; its variant beyond reproach is first recorded in 1702.
The phrase above reproach “not able to be blamed, faultless” first appeared in 1674; its variant beyond reproach is first recorded in 1702.
OTHER WORDS FROM reproach
Words nearby reproach
reprisal, reprise, repristinate, reprivatize, repro, reproach, reproachful, reproachless, reprobance, reprobate, reprobation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for reproach
British Dictionary definitions for reproach
reproach
/ (rɪˈprəʊtʃ) /
verb (tr)
to impute blame to (a person) for an action or fault; rebuke
archaic to bring disgrace or shame upon
noun
Derived forms of reproach
reproachable, adjectivereproachableness, nounreproachably, adverbreproacher, nounWord Origin for reproach
C15: from Old French reprochier, from Latin re- + prope near
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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