Standard Lemma guide

scolding

noun · verb · 3 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈskoʊldɪŋ/
  • rhymes with (US) -oʊldɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: S K OW1 L D IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: berating, chiding, objurgation

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

present participle and gerund of scold

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

rebuking a person harshly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chiding, objurgation, tongue-lashing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rebuke, reproof, reproval, reprehension, reprimand

Narrower terms: wig, wigging

History

Etymology

From scold + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: refrontada — succession of critical remarks
  • Asturian: refundiu — succession of critical remarks
  • Asturian: riferrafe — succession of critical remarks
  • Asturian: escagazadura — succession of critical remarks
  • Asturian: espolín — succession of critical remarks
  • Asturian: resma — succession of critical remarks
  • Bulgarian: гълчене (gǎlčene) — succession of critical remarks
  • Bulgarian: хокане (hokane) — succession of critical remarks
  • Catalan: renyada — succession of critical remarks
  • Finnish: nuhteet — succession of critical remarks
  • Finnish: toruminen — succession of critical remarks
  • Finnish: haukut — succession of critical remarks
  • Malayalam: ശകാരം (śakāraṁ) — succession of critical remarks
  • Nepali: गाली (gālī) — succession of critical remarks
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kjeft — succession of critical remarks
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skjennepreken — succession of critical remarks
  • Plautdietsch: Schell — succession of critical remarks
  • Portuguese: sermão — succession of critical remarks
  • Portuguese: bronca — succession of critical remarks
  • Russian: выговор (vygovor) — succession of critical remarks
  • Spanish: regaño — succession of critical remarks
  • Spanish: sermón — succession of critical remarks
  • Spanish: bronca — succession of critical remarks
  • Spanish: rapapolvo — succession of critical remarks
  • Swedish: utskällning — succession of critical remarks
  • Swedish: avhyvling — succession of critical remarks
  • Ottoman Turkish: قالای (kalay) — succession of critical remarks