⚓ A ship punishment 😡 A harsh scolding

keelhauling

9.9

A severe scolding given to someone for a serious mistake

noun
/ˈkiːlˌhɔːlɪŋ/

: reprimenda

Get back to yer duties or I'll give you a real keelhauling.

Examples

The captain issued a stern warning, promising a keelhauling for anyone who disobeyed orders again.
After the crew's failure to follow instructions, they braced themselves for a tough keelhauling from their commander.
She felt a sense of dread at the thought of receiving a keelhauling for her mistakes during the mission.

Synonyms

scolding

vskeelhauling

7 3.3

A strong angry talk that tells someone they did something wrong

is more extreme, adding punishment or stronger reprimand than mere rebuke

tongue-lashing

vskeelhauling

Informal

5 7.6

A strong angry talk that scolds someone for a mistake

is similar but can include physical punishment as well as a verbal rebuke

chastisement

vskeelhauling

Formal

3 7.2

A strong spoken scolding for a mistake

is stronger, implying a very harsh reprimand or actual punishment

castigation

vskeelhauling

Formal

1 9.0

Severe criticism or punishment using harsh words

is a harsh reprimand focused on punishment rather than formal moral criticism

berating

vskeelhauling

1 6.3

A strong angry talk that tells someone they did something wrong

is similar but may be a single strong reprimand rather than ongoing attack

chiding

vskeelhauling

1 7.2

A talk that tells someone they did something wrong, often angrily

is the term focused on very severe scolding or harsh punishment instead

dressing-down

vskeelhauling

Informal

1 7.7

A strong angry talk that tells someone they did something wrong

is not limited to public correction and can include private punishment

upbraiding

vskeelhauling

1 8.5

A harsh telling off given for a serious mistake

is broader and can mean severe punishment beyond formal spoken criticism

keelhaul

vskeelhauling

NSFW

1 9.9

A very severe punishment or public scolding

is the common modern noun used for this kind of severe punishment

trip to the woodshed

vskeelhauling

Informal

1 9.9

A strong private scolding for someone who did something wrong

is the broad term for severe scolding that is not necessarily private

what for

vskeelhauling

Informal

1 8.8

A strong scolding you get when someone is angry with you

is the standard term for severe scolding used in wider contexts

wigging

vskeelhauling

1 9.5

A strong scolding from someone in charge

is the general severe scolding term not limited to informal British usage

Antonyms

forgiveness

333 2.2

An act of letting go of anger toward someone after they hurt you

praise

161 1.0

Words or actions that show admiration for someone

How Severe

keelhauling

9.9

scolding

7 3.3

rebuke

22 6.8

admonition

17 7.4

Surface Forms

keelhauling singular

keelhaulings plural

Morphology

keelhauling = keelhaul (opaque) = keel + haul + ing

The figurative sense ('severe scolding or punishment') is a metaphorical extension from the literal nautical practice and is not directly inferable from the components by average learners.

Etymology

Keelhauling uses keel ('bottom of a ship') and haul ('to pull'), and it first meant being dragged under a ship as a severe penalty. Because that was such a harsh fate, the word is now also used for a very severe scolding or punishment.