Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To criticize (someone) sharply; reprimand. synonym: admonish.
  • transitive verb To express sharp criticism regarding (an act, for example).
  • transitive verb Obsolete To check or repress.
  • noun An expression of strong disapproval.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To reprove directly and pointedly; utter sharp disapproval of; reprimand; chide.
  • To treat or affect reprehendingly; check or restrain by reprimand or condemnation.
  • To buffet; beat; bruise.
  • Synonyms Reprove, Reprimand, etc. See censure.
  • noun A direct reprimand; reproof for fault or wrong; reprehension; chiding.
  • noun A manifestation of condemnation; a reprehending judgment or infliction; reprobation in act or effect.
  • noun A check administered; a counter-blow.
  • noun Behavior deserving rebuke; rudeness.
  • noun Synonyms Monition, Reprehension, etc. See admonition.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To check, silence, or put down, with reproof; to restrain by expression of disapprobation; to reprehend sharply and summarily; to chide; to reprove; to admonish.
  • noun A direct and pointed reproof; a reprimand; also, chastisement; punishment.
  • noun obsolete Check; rebuff.
  • noun to live without giving cause of reproof or censure; to be blameless.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A harsh criticism.
  • verb To criticise harshly; to reprove.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb censure severely or angrily
  • noun an act or expression of criticism and censure

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English rebuken, from Old North French rebuker : re-, back (from Latin; see re–) + *buker, to strike, chop wood (variant of Old French buschier, from busche, firewood, of Germanic origin).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English rebuken, from Anglo-Norman rebuker ("to beat back, repel"), from re- + Old French *buker, buchier, buschier ("to strike, hack down, chop"), from busche ("wood"), from Vulgar Latin buska ("wood, grove"), from Frankish *busc, *busk (“grove”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush”). More at re-, bush.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word rebuke.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.