I. ˈskōld noun
Etymology: Middle English scald, scold, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skāld poet, skald, Icelandic skālda to make scurrilous verse
Date: 12th century
1.
a. : one who scolds habitually or persistently
b. : a woman who disturbs the public peace by noisy and quarrelsome or abusive behavior
2. : scolding
II. verb
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
1. obsolete : to quarrel noisily
2. : to find fault noisily or angrily
transitive verb
: to censure severely or angrily : rebuke
• scold·er noun
Synonyms:
scold , upbraid , berate , rail , revile , vituperate mean to reproach angrily and abusively. scold implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly
angrily scolding the children
upbraid implies censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds
upbraided her assistants for poor research
berate suggests prolonged and often abusive scolding
berated continually by an overbearing boss
rail ( at or against ) stresses an unrestrained berating
railed loudly at their insolence
revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred
an alleged killer reviled in the press
vituperate suggests a violent reviling
was vituperated for betraying his friends