1
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the frustrated manager lectured the waitstaff about its poor level of service
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in speaking
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
a physician who has lectured before countless audiences on the importance of diet and exercise in avoiding heart disease
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Recent Examples of lecturing
At Yale, where Garber began her career, Jacques Derrida was a frequent visitor, and Paul de Man might be found down the corridor solemnly lecturing on Nietzsche.
—
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
How do teachers carry on teaching, lecturing, checking homework and having students prepare for assessments, and how do students enjoy the pleasures that extracurricular activities bring?
—Jerald McNair, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Should the guy who spends his spare time dodging bullets really be lecturing him on death wishes?
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
The irony here is that after spending decades lecturing China about the merits of free trade, the US is taking a page out of Beijing’s own state capitalist playbook.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Therefore, now is not the time to be lecturing our partners and allies.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
That includes lecturing, building curriculum, pursuing research and speaking about university policy.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 18 Feb. 2026
Katie da Cunha Lewin is a writer based in London, currently lecturing in 20th and 21st-century literature at Coventry University.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Sometimes the messages got feisty, with Epstein lecturing Karp over a fee.
—Tom Schoenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
How do teachers carry on teaching, lecturing, checking homework and having students prepare for assessments, and how do students enjoy the pleasures that extracurricular activities bring?
—Jerald McNair, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Should the guy who spends his spare time dodging bullets really be lecturing him on death wishes?
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
The irony here is that after spending decades lecturing China about the merits of free trade, the US is taking a page out of Beijing’s own state capitalist playbook.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Therefore, now is not the time to be lecturing our partners and allies.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
That includes lecturing, building curriculum, pursuing research and speaking about university policy.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 18 Feb. 2026
Katie da Cunha Lewin is a writer based in London, currently lecturing in 20th and 21st-century literature at Coventry University.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Sometimes the messages got feisty, with Epstein lecturing Karp over a fee.
—Tom Schoenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lecturing
Verb
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First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes diplomacy, added that Islamabad is receiving support from other regional countries in its peace efforts.—
Samy Magdy,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
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There were crackling sounds coming from the radio, someone speaking over the noise of a crowd.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Hart was reprimanding Ross for doing what is the most offensive thing a comedian can do — suck up to the most important person in the room — and enforcing an old ethic in comedy, which is not apologizing for your jokes.—
Robert Lynch,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Indeed, Ye didn’t say much of anything during the two-hour concert beyond a number of reprimanding comments directed at his stage crew.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Wasserman was the evening’s major speaker and arrived at the event as reporters were talking to Cherfilus-McCormick.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
12 May 2026
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Schrage was talking, of course, about AI agents, those software programs created to autonomously take action on your behalf and interact with other humans or programs.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
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The spike in the number of homicides that Little Rock experienced following the covid-19 pandemic featured heavily in that race, with Landers criticizing Scott’s record on public safety.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lecturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lecturing. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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