rebuke

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an act or expression of criticism and censure

   They had to take the rebuke with a smile on their face.

2. 2
   noun

   A harsh criticism.

   There was the sternness of an old-fashioned Tour patron in his rebuke to the young Frenchman Pierre Rolland, the only one to ride away from the peloton and seize the opportunity for a lone attack before being absorbed back into the bunch, where he was received with coolness.

3. 3
   verb

   To criticise harshly; to reprove.

   O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.

4. 4
   verb

   censure severely or angrily

Etymology

From Middle English rebuken, from Anglo-Norman rebuker (“to beat back, repel”), from re- + Old French *buker, buchier, buschier (“to strike, hack down, chop”), from busche (“wood”), from Vulgar Latin *busca (“wood, grove”), from Frankish *busk (“grove”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush”); equivalent to re- + bush.