verb / noun
rebuke
ri-BYOOK/ribjˈuk/
A sharp expression of disapproval.
The older woman rebukes the younger woman for dropping litter.
Etymology
The pieces give the image of striking back: the ancestral verb meant to repel or beat back. In rebuke, that force is verbal—a sharp reprimand.
In context
Joe manchin is in the energy State he's in West Virginia he had to rebuke the president for saying that he was going to end all coal jobs
More examples
- Her sharp rebuke silenced the room.
- He accepted the rebuke without argument.
- The board rebuked the director for ignoring the warnings.
Forms
rebuke · rebukes · rebuked · rebuking