SCOLDS Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

scolds 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of scold

as in reprimands

to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings he scolded the kids for not cleaning up the mess they had made in the kitchen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scolds

2 of 2

noun

plural of scold

as in carpers

Related Words

Example Sentences

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 scolds

Verb

In a video shared by De La Espriella’s office Tuesday, the president scolds some of the suspects captured by police. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 In a video shared by De la Espriella’s office Tuesday, the president scolds some of the suspects captured by police. — Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Some intergenerational sparring ensues, as Kevin scolds Arthur for his more outré boomer comments, and Arthur in turn sneers at his grandson’s millennial lameness. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026 In the beginning, Piker wanted to show young men that leftists could be fun — not just woke social-justice warriors and PC scolds. — Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 Someone else scolds the offender. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 16 June 2026 Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, Cundieff makes quick work of lambasting the casual misogyny and homophobia ingrained in hardcore rap, but also of the media scolds unable to parse the message of the music. — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026 Stumbling on to this ruse, Antoine’s friend and manager Armand (Gilles Lellouche) immediately can tell Suzanne is a fake and scolds her for exploiting his friend’s grief. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scolds

Verb

Being a fly on the wall is precisely what Hard Knocks makes viewers feel like in the moment when Head Coach Mike Macdonald reprimands linebacker Derick Hall for getting too close to a quarterback.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
The emperor reprimands her for being late for the rainmaking ritual.

— Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026

Definition of reprimands

Noun

Argentina’s bishops, many of them appointed by Francis, have become some of Milei’s most persistent critics.

— Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2026
Although current Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy supports data centers in the state, two of the four candidates to replace him are critics of AI.

— Oliver Trapnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of critics

Verb

Cervera, who often publicly criticizes school district decisions, defends his criticism of Fernandez.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
At an October debate, Bass pointed out that Raman, as chair of the city council’s housing and homelessness committee, had repeatedly approved spending on Inside Safe, the very program Raman now criticizes as expensive and insufficiently accountable.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticizes

Verb

The ad blames the high cost of groceries on Israel, which Jewish leaders have condemned as antisemitic.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2026
Microsoft blames the revenue drop on the benefit of Windows 10 end of support during the prior year, as well as OEM inventory drawdowns and a weaker PC market.

— Tom Warren, The Verge, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of blames

Verb

Sinon admonishes his king for failing to properly honor Ithaca’s dead soldiers, contributing to Odysseus’s guilt.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026
Judge admonishes Musk over social media use Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, one of its largest investors, with proceeds going to OpenAI’s charitable arm.

— Deepa Seetharaman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026

Definition of admonishes

Verb

Lizzie’s father, meanwhile, stands by quietly as his wife berates both his daughter and the family maid, Margaret, at dinner that evening.

— Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
But the real anger belongs to the narrator herself, who berates herself for bringing a succession of troubled men into her son’s life.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 July 2026

Definition of berates

Browse Nearby Words

scoldings

scolds

sconce

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Scolds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scolds. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of scolds

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

defer

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes