as in invective
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as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the drill sergeant tongue-lashed the recruits with a colorful litany of foulmouthed invectives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-lashing
Noun
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At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026 -
Riley would have invented invectives.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
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Despite the critical lashing, the audience score has been propped up by faithful fans and is sitting at 96%.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
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If plants look deflated or heavily wilted after a wind lashing, this is a sign of water loss.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The cruel cartoon of a constantly shrewish, venal, and disloyal Mary began cementing itself in the public mind when William Herndon, Lincoln’s Springfield law partner, started lecturing about his reminiscences within months of the President’s murder.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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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
Noun
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The Onion has long delighted readers with a mix of highbrow and stupidly silly news stories that parody the latest social trends and political tirades, highlighting their absurdity—and deeper truths.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2026
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Publishing such a tirade, as everyone knew, was tantamount to political self-destruction.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Verb
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If something’s not done as far as reprimanding, what will that do to him as a student?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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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
Noun
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Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Oct. 2024
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The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The reprimand from the committee, which stops short of a censure from the entire House, is a rare disciplinary action for a member.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
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Clermont, who was elected in 2024, was not given the opportunity to speak during the reprimand.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tongue-lashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-lashing. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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