scolding

scolding — noun

1. The act of telling someone, especially a child or someone under your responsibil

1.nounB1
Definition

The act of telling someone, especially a child or someone under your responsibility, that you are angry because of something they have done wrong.

Example

Jisoo gave her son a firm scolding after he broke the neighbour's window.

collocation: give someone a scolding

Rania received a scolding from her manager for being late three days in a row.

Common collocations
  • give someone a scolding
  • get a scolding
  • receive a scolding
  • a scolding from
Synonyms
  • reprimand

    more formal; often used in official or workplace contexts

  • telling-off

    informal British English; same meaning but less strong

  • rebuke

    more formal and literary; suggests sharper and more serious disapproval

  • lecture

    a longer, more patient explanation of why something was wrong, not necessarily angry

Antonyms
  • praise

    expression of approval rather than disapproval

scolding — adjective

Word family

  • scold
    verbB1
  • scolder
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe a negative response to someone's behaviour, but they differ in formality, intensity, and context. A scolding is the everyday word — it fits both home and school settings and carries a neutral-to-slightly-informal tone. A reprimand is more formal and official, commonly used in workplace or military contexts. A telling-off is distinctly informal British English, typical among friends, family, or between a teacher and a young child. A rebuke is more literary and serious, suggesting sharp disapproval for a moral failure. A lecture, by contrast, is longer and less angry — it is a patient explanation of why something was wrong, often given by a parent or teacher. For example: 'After a scolding from his dad, the boy apologized.' 'The officer received a formal reprimand.' 'The teacher gave the class a lecture on honesty.'

scolding ↗reprimandtelling-offrebukelecture ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • give someone a scolding
  • get a scolding

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word comes from the verb scold, which entered English from Middle English scolden, meaning 'to find fault loudly or angrily.' This came from Old Norse skāld, which meant 'poet' — in Norse tradition, poets often composed satirical and critical verses about people, so the word shifted from 'one who writes critical poems' to 'one who constantly criticises or quarrels.' By the 1500s, scold referred to a person given to harsh, angry speech, and scolding became the noun for the act itself.