I. rə̇ˈprōch, rēˈp- noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English reproche, from Middle French, from Old French, from reprochier, v.
1.
a. : a source of disgrace or shame : a cause of blame or censure : an occasion of discredit : something (as a fact, matter, feature, or quality) producing disgrace or blame
make us see in our whole prison system a reproach — B.N.Cardozo
made their calling a reproach and a hissing — A.M.Young
b. : the quality or state (as disgrace, shame, blame, discredit, or opprobrium) so incurred
these rare exceptions did not take away the reproach which lay on the whole body — T.B.Macaulay
2. : the act or action of reproaching sometimes sternly or abusively and sometimes mildly and gently as an upbraiding
a term of reproach
was above reproach
turned a look of keen reproach on him — George Eliot
the abstainers are not regarded with reproach — Freeman Lincoln
3. : an expression of censure, disapproval, or rebuke
raged at … him with contradictory reproaches — Joseph Conrad
answer … letters sadly and patiently and with no reproaches — Margaret Deland
her greeting was a playful reproach — Willa Cather
4. obsolete : one subjected to censure or scorn : an object of contempt
we are become a reproach to our neighbors — Ps 79:4 (Authorized Version)
5. reproaches plural , usually capitalized : a series of antiphons that are made up of sentences represented as addressed by Christ to his people to remind them of his services to mankind and their ingratitude and are individually followed by the Trisagion sung as a respond and that constitute a service or part of a service on Good Friday in the Roman Catholic and some Anglican churches
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle French reprocher, from Old French reprochier, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin repropiare, from Latin re- + Late Latin -propiare (as in appropiare to approach) — more at approach
1. : to cast up to someone as deserving reproach : bring up as a fault or demerit : allude to as blameworthy : make a matter of reproach — usually used with to or against
his conscience reproached him nothing — Andre Ambron
the mere fact … should not be reproached against them — London Daily News
2. : to utter a reproach to:
a. : to upbraid, censure, or tax with something blameworthy or reprehensible especially through hurt disappointment or chagrin : rebuke strongly or sternly : scold
I should like to … reproach her for being false — George Meredith
b. : to chide gently or in a friendly spirit often in an appeal for amendment : reprove constructively and helpfully : express disappointment and disapproval to
she was very glad to see me and reproached me for giving her no notice of my coming — Jane Austen
3. : to bring into discredit : constitute a cause of reproach to
you might reproach your life — Shakespeare
4. : to cast reproach, blame, or discredit on
the triviality with which we often reproach the remarks of the chorus — Matthew Arnold
Synonyms: see reprove