Outscold

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To be more severe in expressing disapproval than someone else
2. To surpass another individual in the intensity of criticism or reprimand
3. To criticize or reprimand someone with greater severity than another person

Etymology: "Outscold" is simply "out-" attached to "scold," so its history is essentially the history of the verb it builds on. The "out-" prefix, which in English means "beyond" or "surpassing," turns the verb into a contest: to outscold someone is to scold them more loudly, harshly, or relentlessly than they can manage in return. The prefix itself is an old and productive one. English has long used "out-" to form verbs meaning "to do something better, longer, or more than another," as in "outrun," "outwit," and "outlast." Attaching it to "scold" follows that same pattern, so the new verb needs no special invention: anyone who knows "scold" can read "outscold" at once, and the meaning follows directly from the parts.