gives what for

A form of give what for — To scold; to punish, especially verbally.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verb
  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of give what for
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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