| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | warn, strongly criticize |
| Synonyms: | advise, berate, call down, call on the carpet, censure, check, chide, come down hard on, counsel, ding, draw the line, enjoin, exhort, forewarn, give a going over, give a piece of one's mind, glue*, growl*, hoist, jack up, notice, rap on knuckles, rap, rebuke, reprimand, reprove, scold, sit on, slap on wrist, speak to, talk to, tell a thing or two, tell off, upbraid, warn |
| Antonyms: | applaud, approve, commend, compliment, extol, flatter, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | chasten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | correct, humiliate |
| Synonyms: | abase, admonish, afflict, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chide, cow, curb, discipline, exprobate, fulminate against, have on the carpet, humble, objurgate, penalize, punish, rake over the coals, rebuke, reprehend, repress, reprimand, reproach, reprove, restrain, scold, scourge, soften, subdue, take to task, tame, tongue-lash, try, upbraid |
| Notes: | chasten means to correct by punishment, to take to task - to restrain or subdue; chastise means to punish, as by beating or to criticize severely |
| Antonyms: | aid, animate, assist, boost, cheer, comfort, embolden, encourage, help, honor, uplift |
| Main Entry: | chide |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize, lecture |
| Synonyms: | admonish, berate, blame, call down, call on the carpet, castigate, censure, check, condemn, exprobate, find fault, flay, give a hard time, lesson, monish, rate, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, scold, slap on the wrist, speak to, take down a peg, take down, talk to, tell off, tick off, upbraid |
| Antonyms: | compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | condemn |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | blame, convict |
| Synonyms: | adjudge, belittle, blow whistle on, call down, castigate, censure, chide, come down on, criticize, damn, decry, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, depreciate, disapprove, disparage, doom, find fault with, find guilty, frame, hang something on, judge, knock, lay at one's door, let have it, name, pass sentence on, pin it on, point finger at, pronounce, proscribe, punish, put away, put down, reprehend, reproach, reprobate, reprove, send up, send up the river, sentence, skin, thumbs down on, upbraid |
| Antonyms: | absolve, acquit, approve, clear, discharge, exonerate, free, pardon, release, set free |
| Main Entry: | reproach |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | find fault with |
| Synonyms: | abuse, admonish, blame, call down, call to task, cavil, censure, chide, condemn, criticize, defame, discredit, disparage, give comeuppance, give the devil, jawbone, lay on, lesson, rake, ream, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reprove, scold, sit on, take to task, trim, upbraid |
| Antonyms: | approve, praise |
| Main Entry: | vilify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize very harshly |
| Synonyms: | abuse, asperse, assail, attack, bad-mouth, berate, blister, call down, caluminate, censure, curse, cuss, damn, debase, decry, defame, denigrate, denounce, dig*, disparage, dress down, dump on, give a black eye, jinx, knock*, libel, malign, mistreat, mudsling, pan, put a whammy on, put down*, rag on, rap, revile, rip up, roast, run down, scorch, skin alive, slam*, slander, slur, smear, speak ill of, tear down, tear into, traduce, vituperate, voodoo |
| Antonyms: | compliment, praise |