upbraid
Americanverb (used with object)
-
upbraids,
present (3rd person singular)
-
upbraided,
past participle, past
-
upbraiding
present participle
verb (used without object)
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upbraids,
present (3rd person singular)
-
upbraided,
past participle, past
-
upbraiding
present participle
verb
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to reprove or reproach angrily
-
to find fault with
Synonym Usage
See reprimand.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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upbraidsimple
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upbraidssimple
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have upbraidedperfect
-
has upbraidedperfect
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am upbraidingprogressive
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are upbraidingprogressive
-
is upbraidingprogressive
-
have been upbraidingperfect progressive
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has been upbraidingperfect progressive
Past
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upbraidedsimple
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had upbraidedperfect
-
was upbraidingprogressive
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were upbraidingprogressive
-
had been upbraidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of upbraid
before 1000; Middle English; Old English upbrēdan to adduce as a fault. See up-, braid
Explanation
No, upbraid isn’t an elaborate hairdo. When you upbraid people, you scold them, tell them off, and criticize them. (You could, however, upbraid your stylist after a bad haircut.) The word upbraid comes from the Old English word upbregdan, which literally means "bring up quickly." Although this word doesn't have anything to do with hair, upbraid and braid are, in fact, related. The original meaning of braid was "to move quickly from side to side," which is what you do with your fingers when you're braiding someone's hair. When you upbraid someone, you're quickly bringing up different reasons why you're mad at them.
Vocabulary lists containing upbraid
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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:
The Galaxy keeper turned and appeared to upbraid his defenders before clapping his hands and trying to rally his team after what proved to be the winning goal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
Since then she has continued to upbraid Mr Trump.
From BBC ● May 11, 2021
It’s understandable to have complicated needs and feelings even in the wake of great grief, and I don’t want you to upbraid yourself when you already feel a sense of guilt.
From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2020
He was trying in a Judiciary Committee hearing today to upbraid Neomi Rao, the lawyer nominated to the D.C.
From Fox News ● Feb. 5, 2019
When I ask Stu what happened to inspire the crackdown, he just mutters about “management decisions” and takes the opportunity to upbraid Gail and me for being too generous with the rolls.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
The question haunts “Remake” — he includes an indelible sequence from “Sherman’s March” in which his longtime friend Charleen upbraids him for always having the camera out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Wolfe upbraids all who attended, especially the rich and famous.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 28, 2018
Then, just as everyone else is growing more chatty and carefree, the princess abruptly remounts her high horse and upbraids a hapless guest for overfamiliarity.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 23, 2017
Whenever a late-night host upbraids a public figure in a monologue or a pundit bests another in a Twitter fight, onlookers crowd around to declare the loser DESTROYED! or EVISCERATED! or ETHERED! or ANNIHILATED!
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2017
One Sunday morning, he finds me writing and upbraids me seriously.
From My Little Boy by Carl Ewald
The Wall Street Journal reported that in the days before the decision Trump upbraided Makary for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Decades later, he upbraided player auctions in the Indian Premier League, saying that he "just did not like players being treated like horses being sold to the highest bidder".
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2023
The University of Colorado’s new head coach upbraided some of his players Wednesdsay — not for fighting, but for not fighting.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 16, 2023
Superior Court Judge William F. Fahey upbraided Adams for repeatedly racking up more in fees than the judge had authorized.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2023
Having been upbraided by Cockcroft for the Rad Tab’s publication of atomic research in 1940, Ernest soon accommodated himself to the demands of military secrecy.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
He’s hardly able to parry the upbraiding meted out by Mr. Giamatti’s Jean, fastidiously dressed and radiating pompous self-satisfaction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
"An actual upbraiding from the court for the Trump Org."
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2022
Kimura, who was introduced as a fun-loving jokester, attracted increased negative attention online after upbraiding a housemate for ruining one of her wrestling costumes.
From Reuters ● Jun. 2, 2020
The public rebuke of the government by Mr. Bass was a jarring break from diplomatic norms, and the upbraiding by Mr. Ghani of his own intelligence agency was equally noteworthy.
From New York Times ● Nov. 26, 2019
During John’s first year at the University of South Dakota, when he had discovered basketball and girls and slacked off in his studies, he received a stern upbraiding.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
