adjective
-
full of or expressing reproach
-
archaic deserving of reproach; disgraceful
Other Word Forms
- reproachfully adverb
- reproachfulness noun
- unreproachful adjective
- unreproachfulness noun
Etymology
Origin of reproachful
Explanation
Someone who's reproachful is deeply disapproving. A reproachful look on your mom's face is a sign that you've disappointed her and might be in trouble. When you criticize your friend's decision to borrow her parents' car without asking, you probably sound reproachful. You might not even need to speak — a reproachful glance is sometimes enough to communicate your disapproval. When you reproach someone, you express disappointment in them, and to be reproachful is to be "full of reproach." The root word is the Old French reproche, "blame, shame, or disgrace."
Vocabulary lists containing reproachful
Power Suffix: -ful
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Miracle Worker
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
There’s an unmistakably reproachful tone to the unseen correspondent’s voice when she asks one blond boy, “Do you think you’ll be playing with firecrackers anymore?”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2022
That reputation is understandable when you read Coward’s reproachful articles addressed to the Angry Young Men of post-World War II British drama, urging them to “Consider the public.”
From Washington Post • Oct. 27, 2021
One of the girls, Lily, starts crying, and the camera pans to Chloe as she pulls a reproachful face.
From BBC • Sep. 25, 2021
At its centre is Makiko, an ageing bar hostess and single mother to Midoriko, her reproachful adolescent daughter, who will only communicate with her in writing.
From The Guardian • Aug. 18, 2020
Hildegarde Schmidt looked frightened again and Poirot cast a reproachful glance at his friend.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Definitions 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.
