1. Censure severely or angrily
   "The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car";
   - call on the carpet [US, informal], take to task, rebuke, rag [informal], trounce, lecture, reprimand, jaw [informal], dress down [informal], call down [informal], chide, berate, bawl out [informal], chew out [N. Amer, informal], chew up [N. Amer, informal], have words, lambaste, lambast, ream [N. Amer, informal], wig [Brit, informal], carpet [Brit, informal]
    
2. Show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
   "He scolded about anything that he thought was wrong";
   - grouch, grumble, moan

1. Someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault
   "The neighbourhood scold was always complaining about the noise from children playing";
   - scolder, nag, nagger, common scold [archaic]

Derived forms: scolded, scolding, scolds

Type of: complain, criticise [Brit], criticize, damn [informal], disagreeable person, kick [informal], knock [informal], kvetch [N. Amer, informal], moan, pick apart, plain [archaic], sound off, unpleasant person

Encyclopedia: Scold