CHIDING Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

chiding

verb

present participle of chide

as in admonishing

to criticize (someone) usually gently so as to correct a fault my wife chided me for forgetting to offer our guests some refreshments

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of chiding The back-and-forth prompted Steiner to send a letter denying Hawley’s claims and chiding him for a lack of civility. — Jack Harvel july 2, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026 Hokit, who has a history of making tasteless comments after his fights, including the same Obama jab, drew mixed reaction from the UFC Freedom 250 crowd — and also from social media users, with some repeating the false claim in the comments on Hokit’s Instagram page and others chiding it. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026 Justice Jorge Labarga wrote a dissent arguing the court did have jurisdiction, and chiding the First DCA for not expediting a review by the Florida Supreme Court. — Gray Rohrer, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2026 Justice Jorge Labarga wrote a dissent arguing the court did have jurisdiction, and chiding the 1st DCA for not expediting a review by the Florida Supreme Court. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 10 June 2026 And bosses have been chiding younger workers for their behavior and ambitions long before Zoomers entered the workplace chat. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 8 June 2026 Trump has already tried to tip the scales in one significant baseball matter, publicly chiding Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball’s commissioner, in the process. — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026 The two have long been political archenemies going back to Trump’s first term, with Pritzker chiding Trump over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic while the president’s supporters have accused the Democratic governor of taking too strict of measures with COVID mitigations. — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026 This half of the set ends with Waters chiding the security at the venue, telling them to sit down and enjoy the show when the band returns. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chiding

Verb

Regardless, this issue could have resolved if the Giants had issued a statement straight away either defending their players’ First Amendment right to express their views or admonishing them for violating the term of the CBA.

— Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
In the viral video after the shooting, neighbors can be heard angrily admonishing officers for killing the dog.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026

Definition of admonishing

Verb

Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Earlier this week, Scott Agness claimed his press credentials were revoked by the team after his reporting led to the WNBA reprimanding the Fever for not being transparent about Clark’s health status during a game on May 20.

— Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026

Definition of reprimanding

Verb

Rather than scolding parents about screens, society could do more to support families in ways that obviate the need for screen time.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
Do not punish your dog by scolding or yelling at them, as this may make your dog's behavior worse out of fear or stress.

— Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Definition of scolding

Verb

After the match, British politicians and fans took to social media to vent their anger, helping amplify a wave of online posts criticizing both Argentina and its national team, digital researchers said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Rather than responding to detailed questions for this story, Sarnecki issued a statement criticizing wasteful government spending.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Definition of criticizing

Verb

The Los Angeles County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released a report blaming the Eaton Fire on electrical arcing events that took place on an out-of-service Southern California Edison (SCE) tower.

— Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Jeanine Pirro after her office moves to drop vandalism charges over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, blaming faulty construction instead.

— Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of blaming

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chides

chiding

chief

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“Chiding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chiding. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of chiding

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