scold
Americanverb (used with object)
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scolds,
present (3rd person singular)
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scolded,
past participle, past
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scolding
present participle
verb (used without object)
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scolds,
present (3rd person singular)
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scolded,
past participle, past
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scolding
present participle
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to find fault; reprove.
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to use abusive language.
noun
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scolds
plural
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a person who is constantly scolding, often with loud and abusive speech.
verb
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to find fault with or reprimand (a person) harshly; chide
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(intr) to use harsh or abusive language
noun
Usage
What does scold mean? Scold means to angrily or harshly tell someone that they've said or done something you think is wrong, often with the intent of making them feel bad about it so that they don't do it againA person may scold both other people and animals when they do something wrong. When it comes to people, it is often adults scolding children. The noun scold refers to a person who frequently judges other people or points out their faults. This sense of the word is almost always used negatively to imply that such a person scolds too much or is often angry. Example: My dad scolded my dog after it chewed up the couch.
Synonym Usage
See reproach.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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scoldernoun
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scoldingnoun
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outscoldverb (used with object)
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scoldableadjective
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unscoldedadjective
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scoldinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scoldsimple
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scoldssimple
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have scoldedperfect
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has scoldedperfect
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am scoldingprogressive
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are scoldingprogressive
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is scoldingprogressive
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have been scoldingperfect progressive
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has been scoldingperfect progressive
Past
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scoldedsimple
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had scoldedperfect
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was scoldingprogressive
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were scoldingprogressive
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had been scoldingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scold
First recorded in 1150–1200; (noun) Middle English, variant of scald, from Old Norse skald “poet” (as author of insulting poems); see skald; (verb) Middle English scolden, derivative of the noun
Explanation
When you scold someone, you (often angrily) point out and criticize some fault or error. If you forget again to clean up your room, your mom might scold you for it. Scold can also be used as a noun to describe a person who irritates people by finding fault in everything. Your great aunt Merna, who during the holidays complains about her gifts, criticizes your weight, says the turkey is too dry, and the stuffing is soggy? She's a scold. Maybe she's cranky. Which brings us to the other way we can use scold as a verb: to grumble, grouch, or generally express one's crankiness. This latter meaning has more to do with the attitude of the scolder than the faults of the one being scolded.
Vocabulary lists containing scold
Instead of "Said": Vexed Verbiage to Express Anger
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!
Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
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!
Wasn't Me: The Lingo of Laying Blame
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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:
Medicine and public health have long communicated like a scold, especially about women’s bodies.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
"I really want to give it up. Every day I scold myself and tell myself to quit: no more, no more."
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
“You can’t degrade the travel experience for decades and then scold people for dressing to endure the experience,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 26, 2026
At concerts, he chats with the audience, takes requests, sometimes stopping mid-song to adjust the arrangement, or to scold his fans for spending too much time recording, instead of being present.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026
Sometimes the last batch was overcooked, and Papa would scold her.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Americans are funny like that: We tend to feel we know better than pinch-lipped moral scolds what’s best for our lives.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
In another, her daughter scolds her for leaving her expensive cheer uniform in the back of her Bronco for weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
On Lover Girl, she practically scolds herself for being so reckless.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
And when moral scolds seized on excerpts of “Ulysses” — citing the Comstock Act’s ban on sending “obscene” material via U.S. mail — she protested.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
“Bad! You are bad!” my mind scolds me.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
District Judge Dolly M. Gee scolded a pair of government attorneys from her bench in Los Angeles, signaling she would probably appoint a new special master to force compliance with the settlement agreement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
"You're never going to earn respect for doing that sort of thing," a tutor scolded the teens.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
The judge scolded the billionaire at least twice—once for his social media usage and second for saying if he loses this case, it’ll mean trouble for all charities in America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has scolded reporters who ask basic questions about the war’s justification or objectives.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026
But that would have been improper, and I didn’t want to be scolded for misbehaving.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
In 2018, he issued his most famous scolding, decrying the court’s failure to take up California’s 10-day waiting period.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
But even while tacitly admitting Kirk’s scolding was unfair, she still insisted she was grateful for the “fatherly tough love.”
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
But the dentist scolding you for not flossing more often may not own the business anymore.
From Slate ● Mar. 17, 2026
He figured Cool Papa wore those shades indoors on purpose, just to hear her scolding voice.
From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
