scolding

noun scold·ing \ ˈskōl-diŋ \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of scolding

1 : the action of one who scolds

2 : a harsh reproof

gave the child a sharp scolding for running into the road

Recent Examples of scolding from the Web

The Evidence: On top of attracting negative press with alleged ethics violations, Zinke may have lied to White House officials when summoned for his scolding.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "A Guide to Which Trump Staffer Is Getting Fired Next," 2 Apr. 2018
The figure of the scolding, abusive wife, a reliable source of hilarity on the Elizabethan stage, will never entirely disappear.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "South Coast Rep's 'Shrew!' trips along the rutted road of Shakespearean updates," 2 Apr. 2018
My mother pleaded with us not to respond to the scolding for fear that backtalk would escalate the situation.

— hector de leon, Houston Chronicle, "My father was a misogynist, and I still feel guilty," 20 Mar. 2018
His attempts to reach out diplomatically to North Korea earned him a public scolding from Trump.

— john feffer, Fortune, "Commentary: With Tillerson Out, Trump’s Bringing Foreign Policy Deeper Into the Dark Side," 14 Mar. 2018
Even then, though, Facebook got off with a scolding.

— brian barrett, WIRED, "What Would Regulating Facebook Look Like?," 21 Mar. 2018
The Evidence: On top of attracting negative press with alleged ethics violations, Zinke may have lied to White House officials when summoned for his scolding.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "A Guide to Which Trump Staffer Is Getting Fired Next," 16 Mar. 2018
But by name, wow! Our public scoldings had some things in common.

— adam clymer, Time, "George W. Bush Called Me a 'Major League Asshole.' Things Are Very Different Now for Chuck Todd—And the Rest of Us Too," 12 Mar. 2018
Even so, his words prompted a public scolding from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and deepened a crisis between the two countries that began — ironically — with Poland’s effort to dissociate itself from Nazism.

— avi selk, Washington Post, "Polish leader denies being a Holocaust revisionist after blaming ‘Jewish perpetrators’," 18 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scolding.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of scolding

1547

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