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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In many parts of the English-speaking world and Latin America, there’s still a big stigma about men dancing.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
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The cast appeared to be in good spirits, laughing with one another at the event and speaking on a panel about their experience making the film.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
4 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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Pharoah, best known for being a cast member of Saturday Night Live between 2010-2016, had been talking to Fox for a while about hosting a show.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
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Barack Obama liked talking to The New Yorker’s David Remnick.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
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His Instagram reels often show him criticizing the LGBTQ+ community.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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Senator Lisa Murkowski, that Republican of Alaska, who's one of the more notable folks up here on the Hill on the GOP side about criticizing the war in Iran, has floated in conversations with reporters in the hallway here the possibility of drawing up an AUMF and putting it up for a vote.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lecturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lecturing. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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