to flite

Examples

• All

• He didn't appreciate it when his boss began to flite over minor mistakes during the meeting.

• A bird flitted overhead and landed in one of the nearby trees.

  Fiction book (1990)

• "Monarchs flitted against her skin and hair.

  Fiction book (1999)

• A cardinal flitted past, then two chickadees.

  Fiction book (1990)

• More butterflies flitted nearby.

  Fiction book (1999)

• A small butterfly flitted in the bush nearby, but she did not turn her head or move; she only lay there as still and disinterested as a flower.

  Fiction book (1999)

• Small warblers and flycatchers flitted from thicket to tall tree, while tiny stints, redstarts, and shrikes darted from branch to branch.

  Fiction book (1990)

• My grandmother used to flite at me for being untidy, always telling me to clean my room.

Synonyms

R

to rake over the coals

vsto flite

• Informal

4 7.9

Scold someone very strongly for a mistake

scolds sharply but is less about full fault finding

V

to vituperate

vsto flite

• Offensive

9.9

To criticize someone angrily using harsh words

scolds sharply but is more angry rebuke than sustained abuse

C

to chap someone's hide

vsto flite

• Informal

9.3

To scold someone angrily for something they did

scolds sharply but shows angry irritation rather than formal language

P

piece of someone's mind

vsto flite

• Informal

7.5

Tell someone angrily that you are unhappy with them

scolds sharply but often more blunt and spoken than nagging

L

to lapidate

vsto flite

• NSFW

9.9

To attack someone harshly with words, often in writing

scolds sharply but usually is a figurative verbal attack rather than literal stoning

Antonyms

F

to forgive

∞ 1.4

To stop feeling angry at someone or yourself for a mistake

How Harsh

to berate

36 7.2

to reprimand

• Formal

33 6.1

to flite

• Archaic

9.9

to scold

55 2.2

to chide

22 7.0

Surface Forms

Etymology