Upbraids

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Reprimands or criticizes someone sharply for a fault or mistake
2. Expresses strong disapproval of someone's actions in a harsh manner
3. Firmly chastises or berates a person for misconduct or wrongdoing

Etymology: "Upbraids" is the third-person singular present form of "upbraid," so the substance concerns the verb itself. Its root is the Old English "upbreġdan," formed from "up" plus "breġdan," meaning to draw, pull, or move suddenly. The image is physical: to snatch or pull something up. Over time the sense moved from the literal to the abusive, so that to "upbraid" someone came to mean rebuking them harshly, as if pulling their faults out into the open. Its closest relatives show the same idea. Old English "breġdan" is also the source of "braid," the sense of weaving strands together by pulling them over one another. In Middle English the form became "upbreiden," and the modern spelling "upbraid" followed. Icelandic "bregða" still carries a wide range of meanings, from drawing a weapon to deviating from a course, along with the sense to upbraid, which shows how closely the word's core sense of sudden movement connects to its later reproachful use.

Synonyms: rebukes, scolds, reprimands

Antonyms: praises, compliments, approves