to call down
1
6.8
- phrasal verb
- /kɔl daʊn/
- Informal
:
reprender
- If you keep making mistakes, I will have to call you down in front of the team.
And they'd be calling down there, shouting insults, all the rest.
- And they'd be calling down there, shouting insults, all the rest.
Examples
-
I'm gonna call down a blessing for you.
-
Then the singer calls down God's blessings on two of the Orixes.
Academic text (2003) -
Now, look, if they come in again, I want you to call down to the department.
-
Like the adarum, tombalaica calls down all the gods, all at once, instead of one by one.
Academic text (2003) -
The coach called down the players for their poor performance during the game.
-
After the incident, the manager called down the employee for being late again.
Synonyms
89
4.6
To give someone a long serious talk that warns or scolds them about what they did
68
4.6
Publicly criticize a person or group for bad actions
55
2.2
Speak angrily to someone who has done something wrong
44
8.1
To tell someone angrily that they did something wrong
37
5.9
To criticize someone strongly
36
7.2
Scold someone angrily and severely
33
6.1
To tell someone they did something wrong, usually by a person in charge
26
7.7
To express strong disapproval of someone, often in an official statement
26
6.9
To tell someone firmly that you do not approve of their actions
22
7.0
Tell someone you are unhappy with what they did
18
6.3
To scold someone strongly for a mistake
13
4.2
To speak angrily to someone for doing something wrong
13
7.0
Scold someone angrily in front of others
12
8.2
To criticize someone very strongly and angrily
11
8.1
To angrily tell someone off
8
6.5
To tell someone you are disappointed in what they did
7
8.9
To speak angrily to someone for a long time
5
8.3
Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong
4
7.9
Scold someone very strongly for a mistake
3
8.8
To scold someone strongly for something they did wrong
3
7.9
To tell someone strongly that they have done something wrong, often in front of others
3
6.3
To angrily tell someone they did something wrong
2
7.1
To scold someone angrily and severely
2
9.9
To scold someone angrily
1
8.7
Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong
1
8.0
To criticize someone or something very strongly in public
1
5.8
Tell someone publicly that they did something wrong
1
8.6
To scold someone very strongly for a mistake
1
6.7
To criticize someone or something strongly in public
To scold someone angrily for something they did
Shout loudly at someone because they did something wrong
To criticize someone angrily using harsh words
Attack someone with strong words in public
Tell someone angrily that you are unhappy with them
To speak to someone in a sudden angry way without good reason
To tell someone off angrily
Antonyms
How Harsh
1
8.0
36
7.2
- Formal
26
6.9
- Informal
1
6.8
55
2.2
22
7.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
call + down
The verb 'call' (to summon) combined with the directional particle 'down' yields a compositional meaning of summoning or bringing something to the speaker/location, which directly matches the given definition of invoking a spirit. This motion/direction-based combination is a common, cross-linguistic phrasal pattern and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Call down may come from the image of someone in charge using call to bring a person down from a high place so they can be scolded or punished. That's why it now often means 'to reprimand or criticize someone angrily'.