First Known Use: 12th century
Dictionary
1scold
noun \ˈskōld\
: a person who often criticizes other people in an angry way : someone who scolds other people too often
Full Definition of SCOLD
1
a : one who scolds habitually or persistently b : a woman who disturbs the public peace by noisy and quarrelsome or abusive behavior
2
: scolding
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Origin of SCOLD
Middle English scald, scold, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skāld poet, skald, Icelandic skālda to make scurrilous verse
2scold
verb
: to speak in an angry or critical way to (someone who has done something wrong)
Full Definition of SCOLD
intransitive verb1
obsolete : to quarrel noisily
2
: to find fault noisily or angrily
transitive verb
: to censure severely or angrily : rebuke
— scold·er noun
See scold defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of SCOLD
14th century
Related to SCOLD
- Synonyms
- baste, bawl out, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chew out, dress down, flay, hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lecture, rag, rail (at or against), rant (at), rate, ream (out), rebuke, reprimand, reproach, score, tongue-lash, upbraid, lay into, read the riot act (to), take to task
Synonym Discussion of SCOLD
scold, upbraid, berate, rail, revile, vituperate mean to reproach angrily and abusively. scold implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly <angrily scolding the children>. upbraid implies censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds <upbraided her assistants for poor research>. berate suggests prolonged and often abusive scolding <berated continually by an overbearing boss>. rail (at or against) stresses an unrestrained berating <railed loudly at their insolence>. revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred <an alleged killer reviled in the press>. vituperate suggests a violent reviling <was vituperated for betraying his friends>.
SCOLDS Defined for Kids
1scold
verb \ˈskōld\
scold·edscold·ing
Definition of SCOLD for Kids
: to find fault with or criticize in an angry way <Claudia … scolded him about the need to eat properly. — E. L. Konigsburg, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler>
— scold·ing noun
2scold
noun
Definition of SCOLD for Kids
: a person who frequently criticizes and blames
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