Definitions

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

  • intransitive verb To scold mildly so as to correct or improve; reprimand.
  • intransitive verb To express disapproval.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A reproof; a rebuke.
  • noun A murmuring, complaining, or brawling sound.
  • To reprove; rebuke; reprimand; find fault with; blame; scold: as, to chide one for his faults; to chide one for his delay.
  • To find fault about; blame; reproach: applied to things: as, to chide one's own folly.
  • To strike by way of punishment or admonition.
  • To drive or impel by chiding.
  • Figuratively, to fret; chafe.
  • Synonyms To blame, censure, reproach, upbraid, reprimand.
  • To scold; find fault; contend in words of anger; wrangle; grumble; clamor.
  • Figuratively, to make a clamorous or murmuring noise.
  • To bay, as hounds in full cry.

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

  • transitive verb To rebuke; to reprove; to scold; to find fault with.
  • transitive verb Fig.: To be noisy about; to chafe against.
  • transitive verb to cause to come, or to drive away, by scolding or reproof.
  • noun A continuous noise or murmur.
  • intransitive verb To utter words of disapprobation and displeasure; to find fault; to contend angrily.
  • intransitive verb To make a clamorous noise; to chafe.

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

  • verb to loudly admonish in blame; to angrily reproach

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

  • verb censure severely or angrily

Etymologies

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

[Middle English chiden, from Old English cīdan, from cīd, strife, contention.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English childen ("to chide, rebuke, disapprove, criticize; complain, grumble, dispute; argue, debate, dispute, quarrel"), from Old English ċīdan ("to chide, reprove, rebuke; blame, contend, strive, quarrel, complain")

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Examples

  • ’ ‘I am just of the same mind, no more, nor no less, ’ said the hostess, ‘for I never have any quiet hour in my house, but when thou art hearing those books whereon thou art so besotted, as then thou dost only forget to chide, which is thy ordinary exercise at other times.

    The Fourth Book. V. Treating of That Which Befel All Don Quixote His Train in the Inn 1909

  • Limbaugh added Buckley would "chide" him with "a little note," when he "thought we were incorrect or whatever."

    He Knew He Was Right 2008

  • Also, I would like to commend John on his excellent use of the word "chide".

    SFSignal Update 2005

  • It showed me also that Jesus Christ had yet a word of grace and mercy for me, that He had not, as I had feared, quite forsaken and cast off my soul; yea, this was a kind of chide for my proneness to desperation; a kind of threatening of me, if I did not, notwithstanding my sins, and the heinousness of them, venture my salvation upon the Son of God.

    Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Bunyan, John, 1628-1688 1666

  • It showed me also that Jesus Christ had yet a word of grace and mercy for me, that He had not, as I had feared, quite forsaken and cast off my soul; yea, this was a kind of chide for my proneness to desperation; a kind of threatening of me, if I did not, notwithstanding my sins, and the heinousness of them, venture my salvation upon the Son of God.

    Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners John Bunyan 1658

  • John Stennis, the powerful senator from Mississippi, a Democrat, would later chide me for meddling in the politics of his state.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • John Stennis, the powerful senator from Mississippi, a Democrat, would later chide me for meddling in the politics of his state.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • John Stennis, the powerful senator from Mississippi, a Democrat, would later chide me for meddling in the politics of his state.

    The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010

  • My dad would laugh and chide them to be more kind.

    Laura Mola: Thinking About Integrity Laura Mola 2011

  • My dad would laugh and chide them to be more kind.

    Laura Mola: Thinking About Integrity Laura Mola 2011

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