gives someone a speaking to

A form of give someone a speaking to — To scold a person.

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Meanings

verbgives someone
  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of give someone a speaking to
Cite this entry
APA

gives someone a speaking to. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gives%20someone%20a%20speaking%20to

MLA

“gives someone a speaking to.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gives%20someone%20a%20speaking%20to. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gives someone a speaking to,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gives%20someone%20a%20speaking%20to.

Source: gives someone a speaking to on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.