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Glite Dictionary
to give what-for

to give what-for

9.5
To scold someone strongly for doing something wrong
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : reprender
  • The coach really gave what-for to the team after their poor performance.

Examples

  • If you don't finish your homework, your parents will give what-for when they find out.

  • She was ready to give what-for to anyone who broke the rules.

  • Don't give what-for to her!

  • I can't believe you gave what-for to him!

  • The teacher decided to give what-for to the students who failed to turn in their assignments.

  • After the incident, he was quick to give what-for to the employee responsible for the mistake.

  • Parents often give what-for to their children when they don't follow the rules.

Synonyms

to teach someone a lesson
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
139 4.2

Punish someone so they learn not to do it again

is the harsh telling off aimed more at expressing anger than teaching
to scold
vsto give what-for
55 2.2

Speak angrily to someone who has done something wrong

is more idiomatic and often expresses greater personal anger
to let him have it
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
44 8.1

To tell someone angrily that they did something wrong

is similar but often implies a very personal angry telling off
to give someone hell
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
37 8.1

To scold someone very strongly for something they did

is the severe spoken reprimand without extra punishment sense
to chastise
vsto give what-for
  • Formal
33 7.6

To scold someone strongly for doing something wrong

is more about anger and an emotional spoken telling off
to reprimand
vsto give what-for
  • Formal
33 6.1

To tell someone they did something wrong, usually by a person in charge

is less formal and more about a sharp personal telling off
to rebuke
vsto give what-for
  • Formal
26 6.9

To tell someone firmly that you do not approve of their actions

is more colloquial and emotionally forceful than this formal disapproval
to let someone have it
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
11 8.1

To angrily tell someone off

is the core severe reprimand idea without extra physical connotations
to give someone the business
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
5 8.3

Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong

is the basic severe scolding without this specific informal edge
to rake over the coals
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
4 7.9

Scold someone very strongly for a mistake

is the intense short angry reprimand rather than a long session
to give hell
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
1 8.1

To scold or punish someone angrily for something they did wrong

is the standard severe scolding idea focused on reprimand
to give someone what for
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
1 8.7

Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong

is the idiomatic severe telling off phrased differently
to read the riot act
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
1 7.9

To scold someone strongly and warn them of punishment

is the strict severe scolding without explicit threat of consequences
to haul over the coals
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
1 8.6

To scold someone very strongly for a mistake

is the same severe private or general telling off
to chap someone's hide
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
9.3

To scold someone angrily for something they did

is the more general severe reprimand phrase without that irritation focus
to give an earful
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
7.7

Angrily tell someone they did something wrong

is the same sharp rebuke but often briefer and punchier
to give (someone) a piece of one's mind
vsto give what-for
  • Informal
7.5

Tell someone angrily that you are upset with them

is more severe and focused on a strong reprimand rather than general anger
to give a speaking to
vsto give what-for
  • UK
6.9

To tell someone they behaved badly in a serious way

is the more colloquial and harsher angry telling off
to hand you your head
vsto give what-for
  • UK
9.9

Scold someone very strongly, often in front of others

is focused on a sharp spoken reprimand rather than formal punishment

How Harsh

to lambaste
1 8.0
to berate
36 7.2
to give what-for
  • Informal
9.5
to tell off
  • Informal
13 4.2
to reprimand
  • Formal
33 6.1
to chide
22 7.0

Surface Forms

give what-for infinitive
gave what-for past
given what-for past participle
giving what-for present participle
gives what-for third person singular

Morphology

give + what-for

The component 'what-for' normally signals a reason or purpose, and 'give' is generic, but the idiom 'give (someone) what-for' meaning 'reprimand severely' does not follow a predictable compositional logic from those meanings. This is a language-specific idiom whose sense cannot be reliably derived by a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Give what-for may come from the angry phrase what for, a short question people used when blaming someone; imagine a person being asked what for and then being sharply told off. That's why give what-for now means 'to scold someone severely'.