give what for

verb

To scold; to punish, especially verbally.

“When she found out, she really gave him what for.”

Similar
penalizeteach someone a lessonamercecastigatechastenchastisecome down oncorrect
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Meanings

verbgive what for (third-person singular simple present gives what for, present participle giving what for, simple past gave what for, past participle given what for)

present singular third person gives what for · participle present giving what for · past gave what for · participle past given what for

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo scold; to punish, especially verbally.

    When she found out, she really gave him what for.

    Synonyms: penalize, teach someone a lesson, amerce, castigate, chasten, chastise, come down on, correct

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo scold; to punish, especially verbally.

Similar
penalizeteach someone a lessonamercecastigatechastenchastisecome down oncorrectfix someone's wagonhave someone's guts for gartershave someone's headhave someone's hidegive it to someonegive someone what forgruelmalavoguenail someone to the wallpenalizepenance
Also see
amercechastenchastisecorrectfix someone's wagongive it to someonegive someone what forgruelhave someone's guts for gartershave someone's headhave someone's hidenail someone to the wallpenalizepenancepunishtan someone's hidetar outteach someone a lesson
Cite this entry
APA

give what for. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20what%20for

MLA

“give what for.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20what%20for. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give what for,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20what%20for.

Source: give what for on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.