[scold] n [ME scald, scold, perh. of Scand origin; akin to ON skald poet, skald, Icel skalda to make scurrilous verse] (12c) 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
[2]scold vi (14c) 1 obs: to quarrel noisily
2: to find fault noisily or angrily ~ vt: to censure severely or angrily: rebuke -- scold.er n syn 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 usu. 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".