rebuke

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɹiˈbjuːk/ See IPA manual

Freq #38028

Meanings

1

verb
To criticise or scold someone sharply.

The teacher rebuked the students for arriving late again.
2

noun
A sharp expression of criticism or disapproval.

His careless mistake earned him a stern rebuke from the manager.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to criticise or scold... admonish berate censure reprimand scold

2 noun · a sharp expression of... admonition reprimand reproach reproof

Word family

Forms rebukedrebukesrebuking

Derived forms rebukeful

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mild rebuke
a restrained expression of criticism or disapproval

Adjective + noun

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.

rebuken Middle English rebuker xno *buker Old French *busca la-vul *busk frk *buskaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# rebuke

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɹiˈbjuːk/
**Frequency rank:** 38028

## Meanings
1. To criticise or scold someone sharply.
2. A sharp expression of criticism or disapproval.

## Examples
- The teacher rebuked the students for arriving late again.
- His careless mistake earned him a stern rebuke from the manager.

## Derived Forms
- rebukeful

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: rebuken
- Root: rebuker
- Root: *buker
- Root: *busca
- Root: *busk
- Root: *buskaz

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Rebuke is 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include rebuken (Middle English), rebuker (xno), *buker (Old French), *busca (la-vul), *busk (frk), and *buskaz (Proto-Germanic). Current senses include to criticise or scold someone sharply and a sharp expression of criticism or disapproval. The wider family includes derived forms such as rebukeful.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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