rebuke
Americanverb (used with object)
-
rebukes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rebuked,
past participle, past
-
rebuking
present participle
noun
-
rebukes
plural
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
See reproach.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
rebukesimple
-
rebukessimple
-
have rebukedperfect
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has rebukedperfect
-
am rebukingprogressive
-
are rebukingprogressive
-
is rebukingprogressive
-
have been rebukingperfect progressive
-
has been rebukingperfect progressive
Past
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rebukedsimple
-
had rebukedperfect
-
was rebukingprogressive
-
were rebukingprogressive
-
had been rebukingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rebuke
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English rebuken (verb), from Anglo-French rebuker ( Old French rebuchier ) “to beat back,” equivalent to re- re- + bucher “to beat, strike,” from Germanic
Explanation
If you receive a rebuke, it means that you have been reprimanded, or scolded. You're sure to get a rebuke if you forget to do your math homework four days in a row. The word rebuke can be a verb, meaning to sternly reprimand or scold, but it can also be a noun, because a rebuke is the result of being scolded. The root comes from the Old French rebuchier and means "to hack down," or "beat back." A rebuke, then, is meant to be critical and to chide — in today's terms, a rebuke is verbal smack-down!
Vocabulary lists containing rebuke
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The decision to make his eligible for Monday’s game also drew rebuke from UEFA, the governing body for soccer in Europe and the largest, most powerful of FIFA’s six confederations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
He called upon people to love their enemies, not rebuke them or disparage their existence.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Rama himself has published what appears to be a public rebuke to former Greek Prime Minister Aleksis Tsipras.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Just months after joining the eurozone single currency area, the European Commission is set to rebuke Bulgaria for violating the EU's spending rules.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
“A bit simplified but yes, that’s sort of what I meant,” Emenike said, slowly, leaning back on his chair, and Obinze sensed a rebuke.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
But such sharp rebukes may well suggest the former first minister's standing in the party has shrunk.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Public rebukes followed Hegseth’s decision last month to effectively fire Gen. Chris Donahue, a respected four-star commander who came up the ranks through the special forces.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
About 80% of shares voting opposed the company’s advisory “say-on-pay” resolution, one of the biggest rebukes of last year’s executive compensation by shareholders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
He said Muscat had not fallen out of favour with Washington, despite the rebukes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Though speechless and unaware, the dying woman rebukes us all.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for policy, rebuked Canada in May, saying that the country had “failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
They will also be the first under new Federal Reserve boss Kevin Warsh after he last month replaced Jerome Powell, who was constantly rebuked by Trump for not cutting interest rates enough.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
However many sporting governing bodies have publicly rebuked athletes for choosing to compete in the games and some sporting governing bodies have banned athletes for taking part.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Heath and his siblings were rebuked by their neighbors, Heath said, to the point that his brother, Phil, told the township attorney he was thinking about resigning as supervisor.
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026
He would cackle with laughter and caper, if any jest was made, or even if Frodo spoke kindly to him, and weep if Frodo rebuked him.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Misty Copeland, the trailblazing ballet star formerly of the American Ballet Theatre, has joined the chorus of fine arts personalities rebuking Timothée Chalamet for his dismissive comments about ballet and opera.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026
In March, Roberts issued a rare statement rebuking those impeachment calls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
At its peak, there were over 6,000 Shakers, joining Ann in rebuking the gruesome, incalculable evils of war and preaching moral generosity.
From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2025
His stand-up routine included jokes about dating, autism and Tourette’s, and he got extra laughs after rebuking head judge Simon Cowell.
From BBC ● May 25, 2024
“You are much better; anyone can see that,” she says, rebuking me lightly.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
