as in to dislike
to hold an unfavorable opinion of
some guests tsk-tsked the fact that the bride and groom were taking selfies
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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
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As so often happens, even if many folks in Hollywood dislike the guy, and Penn has already won two Oscars, big and brash often beats quiet and precise.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
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Tesla, which has its die-hard fans and detractors — with founder Elon Musk the particular magnet for like or dislike — will fill the long-shuttered Toys R Us building that has been vacant since June 2018.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And for the president when he’s criticized about lifting the sanctions on Russia, to somehow turn around and blame Zelenskyy, blame Ukraine.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
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The Israeli military later posted a second message in Farsi, noting the head of Iran's judiciary was at the rally and criticizing Iran for blocking many from seeing their warning, as authorities in Iran have almost completely shut down internet access.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tsk-tsk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tsk-tsk. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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