Phrase guide

give someone a speaking to

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To scold a person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • When she comes home I will certainly be giving her a speaking to about breaking curfew.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: berate, chastise, scold, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, slash, lash, blame, scorch, blast, berisp, castigate, censure, charge, chew out, chide, condemn, criticize, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, derogate, dispraise, drag, dress down, eat someone alive, excoriate, find fault, fulminate, get at, get down, get up, give somebody a piece of one's mind, give somebody what-for, inveigh, lace into, lambaste, lay into, lecture, light into, objurgate, pooh-pooh, put someone on blast, rate, read somebody the riot act, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, rip into, rubbish, savage, skewer, slam, slate, tear into, tell off, threap, tick off, tosh, keelhaul, upbraid, vilify, vituperate

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.