· censure severely or angrily; "The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car"; "The deputy ragged the Prime Minister"; "The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup"

Synonym(s): call_on_the_carpet, take_to_task, rebuke, rag, trounce, lecture, reprimand, jaw, dress_down, call_down, scold, chide, bawl_out, remonstrate, chew_out, chew_up, have_words, lambaste, lambast

Hypernym(s): knock, criticize, criticise, pick_apart