scolding

S1C3O1L1D2I1N1G2
US/ˈskoʊldɪŋ/

noun

An unloving succession of critical remarks, such as those directed by a parent towards a misbehaving child; an earful; dressing down.

Similar
beratingchidingobjurgationbrowbeatingchocklingcorreptiondirdumdown the banks
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounscolding (plural scoldings)

plural scoldings

  1. An unloving succession of critical remarks, such as those directed by a parent towards a misbehaving child; an earful; dressing down.

    Synonyms: berating, chiding, objurgation, berating, browbeating, chiding, chockling, correption

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of scold

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn unloving succession of critical remarks, such as those directed by a parent towards a misbehaving child; an earful; dressing down.

Similar
beratingchidingobjurgationberatingbrowbeatingchidingchocklingcorreptiondirdumdown the banksdressing downgoing overjawinglectureobjurgationrixationsermonthroughgoing

More synonyms by meaning

nounrebuking a person harshly

Similar
chidingobjurgationtongue-lashing
Broader
rebukereproofreproval
Also see
beratingbrowbeatingchidingchocklingcorreptiondirdumdressing downgoing overjawinglectureobjurgationrixationsermonthroughgoingtongue lashingvituperationvituperative

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From scold + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian гълчене, хокане
  • гълчене (gălčene)succession of critical remarks
  • хокане (hokane)succession of critical remarks
Catalan renyada
  • renyadasuccession of critical remarks
Finnish nuhteet, toruminen
  • nuhteetsuccession of critical remarks
  • toruminensuccession of critical remarks
  • haukutsuccession of critical remarks
Norwegian Bokmål kjeft, skjennepreken
  • kjeftsuccession of critical remarks
  • skjenneprekensuccession of critical remarks
Portuguese sermão, bronca
  • sermãosuccession of critical remarks
  • broncasuccession of critical remarks
Russian выговор
  • выговор (vygovor)succession of critical remarks
Spanish regaño, sermón
  • regañosuccession of critical remarks
  • sermónsuccession of critical remarks
  • broncasuccession of critical remarks
  • rapapolvosuccession of critical remarks
Swedish utskällning, avhyvling
  • utskällningsuccession of critical remarks
  • avhyvlingsuccession of critical remarks
Cite this entry
APA

scolding. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scolding

MLA

“scolding.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scolding. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scolding,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scolding.

Source: scolding on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.