I. re ‧ proach 1 /rɪˈprəʊtʃ $ -ˈproʊtʃ/ BrE AmE noun formal
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: reproche , from reprochier 'to reproach' , from Vulgar Latin repropiare , from Latin prope 'near' ]
1 . [uncountable] criticism, blame, or disapproval:
‘You don’t need me,’ she said quietly, without reproach.
2 . [countable] a remark that expresses criticism, blame, or disapproval:
He argued that the reproaches were unfair.
3 . above/beyond reproach impossible to criticize SYN perfect :
His behaviour throughout this affair has been beyond reproach.
4 . a reproach to somebody/something something that should make a person, society etc feel bad or ashamed:
These derelict houses are a reproach to the city.
II. reproach 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . formal to blame or criticize someone in a way that shows you are disappointed at what they have done
reproach somebody for/with something
He publicly reproached his son for his behavior.
2 . reproach yourself to feel guilty about something that you think you are responsible for
reproach yourself for/with
You’ve got nothing to reproach yourself for – it was his own decision.
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THESAURUS
▪ reprimand formal to tell someone that they have done something wrong or illegal and are being punished for it – used especially in official contexts:
The police officers were officially reprimanded for their behaviour.
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The Swiss authorities severely reprimanded the banks for accepting $660million from the former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha.
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Debra remembered as a very young child being reprimanded by her father.
▪ scold formal if a parent, teacher, or other adult scolds a child, they talk to them angrily because they have done something wrong. Scold sounds rather formal and old-fashioned. In everyday English people usually say tell somebody off :
I dreaded the thought of going home and being scolded by my father.
▪ tell somebody off to talk angrily to someone because they have done something wrong. Tell somebody off is more common in British English than American English:
Dad told me off for getting home late.
▪ give somebody a talking-to informal to talk angrily to a child because they have done something wrong:
The boy was giving a good talking-to and sent home.
▪ lecture to talk angrily to someone for a long time about something they have done wrong, especially in a way that they think is not necessary or fair:
Stop lecturing me, will you!
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He began to lecture her about her duties as a citizen.
▪ rebuke formal to tell someone that they should not have done something:
She rebuked him for being late.
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Sheerman rebuked his colleague for suggesting that he was too stupid to understand what he was saying.
▪ reproach formal to talk to someone in a way that shows you are disappointed at what they have done. Reproach sounds much gentler than criticizing someone or reprimanding them:
He felt he had to reproach his friend for his excessive drinking.
▪ berate formal to publicly criticize someone for a long time, in a way that shows you strongly disapprove of what they have done:
She berated the paper for its 'misleading front-page story.'
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Kennedy berated the Eisenhower administration and its vice president Richard Nixon, during the 1960 campaign.