call on the carpet

verb

To reprimand; to censure severely or angrily.

Similar
bawl outberatecall downcarpetchew outchew upchidedress down
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Meanings

verbcall on the carpet (third-person singular simple present calls on the carpet, present participle calling on the carpet, simple past and past participle called on the carpet)

present singular third person calls on the carpet · participle present calling on the carpet · participle past called on the carpet · past called on the carpet

  1. USTo reprimand; to censure severely or angrily.

    Randal calls onto the carpet Heath and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler for her department's negligence in responding to the AIDS crisis.

    1984 August 4, Sue Hyde, “Too Little, Too Late”, in Gay Community News, page 2

    Synonyms: bawl out, berate, call down, carpet, chew out, chew up, chide, dress down

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo reprimand; to censure severely or angrily.

Similar
bawl outberatecall downcarpetchew outchew upchidedress downhave wordsjawlambastelectureragrebukeremonstratereprimandreproofscoldtell offtrounce

More synonyms by meaning

verbcensure severely or angrily

Similar
take to taskrebukeragtrouncelecturereprimandjawdress downcall downscoldchideberatebawl outremonstratechew outchew uphave wordslambastelambast
Broader
knockcriticizecriticise
Also see
bawl outberatecall downchew outchew upchidedress downhave wordsjawlambastelectureragrebukeremonstratereprimandscoldtake to tasktrounce

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Dutch op het matje roepen
  • op het matje roepenreprimand
Estonian vaibale kutsuma
  • vaibale kutsumareprimand
French réprimander
  • réprimanderreprimand
Polish brać na dywanik
  • brać na dywanikreprimand
Russian вы́звать на ковёр
  • вы́звать на ковёр (výzvatʹ na kovjór)reprimand
Cite this entry
APA

call on the carpet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20on%20the%20carpet

MLA

“call on the carpet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20on%20the%20carpet. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “call on the carpet,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20on%20the%20carpet.

Source: call on the carpet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.