Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To reprimand or criticize harshly and usually angrily.
  • intransitive verb To express harsh or angry disapproval to someone.
  • noun One who persistently nags or criticizes.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To chide or find fault, especially with noisy clamor or railing; utter harsh rebuke, railing, or vituperation.
  • To chide with railing or clamor; berate; rail at.
  • noun One who scolds; a scolder; especially, a noisy, railing woman; a termagant.
  • noun A scolding: as, she gave him a rousing scold.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To chide with rudeness and clamor; to rate; also, to rebuke or reprove with severity.
  • intransitive verb To find fault or rail with rude clamor; to brawl; to utter harsh, rude, boisterous rebuke; to chide sharply or coarsely; -- often with at.
  • noun One who scolds, or makes a practice of scolding; esp., a rude, clamorous woman; a shrew.
  • noun A scolding; a brawl.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A person fond of abusive language, in particular a troublesome and angry woman.
  • verb To rebuke.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb censure severely or angrily
  • noun someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault
  • verb show one's unhappiness or critical attitude

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English scolden, to be abusive, from scolde, an abusive person, probably of Scandinavian origin; see sekw- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old Norse skald "poet". English since the 12th century.

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Examples

Comments

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  • I don't say that Bernie's too old

    Nor call his proposals too bold,

    But that finger awag

    Is becoming a drag.

    The man is a tedious scold.

    February 15, 2016

  • Has anyone patented the Bernie fingerwag yet?

    February 15, 2016

  • I think the patent office is backed up with cranky grandmothers contesting the rights.

    February 15, 2016