SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
reprimand
verb
To express formal or strong disapproval of someone's conduct.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Rebuke formally
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topReprimand often has a formal or disciplinary setting. Castigate and berate suggest especially severe criticism.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See reprimand in use
The supervisor had to reprimand the worker for ignoring the safety briefing.
Later, the manager distinguished a real seating problem from nitpicking about whether a reusable mug matched the kitchen's paint. She chose to reprimand the tenant after he repeatedly insulted colleagues despite a clear request to stop.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license