chewing out
1
7.0
- noun
- /ˈtʃuːɪŋ aʊt/
- Informal
:
reprimenda
- Pachs tried to make himself believe that this was just another one of Martin's royal commands: a lecture, a chewing-out, a complaint.
- get chewed out
Examples
-
What I remember most was Steve Young just chewing out Seiferet for taking him out of the game.
Blog text (19) -
The coach gave the player a serious chewing out for missing the crucial penalty kick.
-
If she expects a chewing out, it seems she is in the wrong group.
Fiction book (1997) -
I needed that chewing out, and hopefully I can learn from my mistakes and from your wisdom.
Blog text (14) -
And I turn and I look, it was the kid that was in the other school sitting there getting chewed out by the coach, by the Dean of boys.
-
Sammy, Blinky, Max, and Ty could only shuffle their feet in the snow and wince as they witnessed yet another chewing out at their boss's expense.
Fiction book (2000) -
After missing the deadline, she received a chewing out from her supervisor that she would never forget.
-
The manager's chewing out of the employees was intended to make them take their work more seriously.
Synonyms
7
3.3
A strong angry talk that tells someone they did something wrong
5
6.5
A strong angry talk that tells someone they did wrong
5
7.6
A strong angry talk that scolds someone for a mistake
1
9.0
Severe criticism or punishment using harsh words
1
8.5
A harsh telling off given for a serious mistake
1
6.1
A severe scolding from someone in charge, often in front of other people
1
8.8
A strong scolding you get when someone is angry with you
1
7.4
A strong scolding you get for doing something wrong
A loud, angry talk that tells someone they made a mistake
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
chewing + out
The meaning 'an act of severely scolding' for 'chewing out' is idiomatic: the literal actions of 'chewing' and the particle 'out' do not transparently combine to yield 'reprimand.' This metaphorical sense is unpredictable from the constituents and varies across languages, so a B1 learner knowing the words would likely not infer the meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
The noun chewing out may come from the image of someone being 'chewed' by angry words, which links to the verb chew, and being pushed out of the group. That's why a chewing out means 'a severe scolding'.