as in to dislike
to hold an unfavorable opinion of
some guests tsk-tsked the fact that the bride and groom were taking selfies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 tsk-tsk
The leech therapist, whose name was Sandra, made a tsk-tsk sound over the phone.
—
Blair Braverman, Outside, 21 Jan. 2026
The first scene of Replicas has a robot tearing itself apart in horror upon having a dead man’s consciousness uploaded into it; the second scene has Alice Eve, playing Reeves’s husband, casually tsk-tsking her husband in the kitchen for trying to bring all those people back to life.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Instead of playing music while the gymnasts performed, Bercy Arena turned into a church, complete with would-be church ladies tsk-tsking people who dared to react when the gymnasts nailed a skill on beam.
—Dana O'Neil, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
Blair Braverman, Outside, 21 Jan. 2026
The first scene of Replicas has a robot tearing itself apart in horror upon having a dead man’s consciousness uploaded into it; the second scene has Alice Eve, playing Reeves’s husband, casually tsk-tsking her husband in the kitchen for trying to bring all those people back to life.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Instead of playing music while the gymnasts performed, Bercy Arena turned into a church, complete with would-be church ladies tsk-tsking people who dared to react when the gymnasts nailed a skill on beam.
—Dana O'Neil, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tsk-tsk
Verb
-
None allow for import taxes in response to international disagreements over foreign policy or because a president dislikes another country’s domestic policies.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
My vain hope today is to convince my newfound anti-Trump allies (who have disliked my years of writing against progressive policies) to view the current national nightmare as a teachable moment.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
No less than a half-dozen GOP senators publicly criticized the Department of Justice for investigating Powell over Hill testimony last year about the Fed headquarters’ renovation.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Last week, Graham Knaus, the chief executive of the California State Association of Counties, criticized Newsom’s budget for not responding to the cost burdens shifting to local governments.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tsk-tsk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tsk-tsk. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
