Meaning & use
reprove
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Meaning
verbtransitive
To tell someone, usually calmly, that their behavior was wrong, so that they will do better.
Grammar: Takes a person as object, often with for: she reproved the boy for lying.
Patterns
- reprove someone for something
- reprove someone gently
The headmaster reproved the students for running in the corridor.
She gently reproved her brother for interrupting the guest.
His grandmother reproved him with a quiet look and a shake of her head.
Word forms
| third person singular | reproves |
|---|---|
| past tense | reproved |
| past participle | reproved |
| -ing form | reproving |
Common combinations
- reprove gently
- The vicar reproved the choir gently for coming in late.
- reprove someone for
- He reproved her for speaking so loudly.
- reproving look
- The librarian gave them a reproving look.
- mildly reprove
- The coach mildly reproved the team after the mistake.
- reproving tone
- His reproving tone made the children fall silent.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scold
- Scold is more everyday and often implies anger, while reprove is calmer and more formal.
- rebuke
- Rebuke is sharper and more public than reprove, which usually corrects someone in a restrained way.
- reprimand
- Reprimand suggests an official telling-off by someone in authority, whereas reprove can come from a friend or relative.
- admonish
- Admonish is close in meaning but often includes a warning about future behavior as well as criticism.
Opposites
Word family
- reproof noun
- an expression of mild disapproval
- reproving adjective
- showing disapproval, as in a reproving glance
- reprovingly adverb
- in a way that shows mild disapproval
- reprovable adjective
- deserving of criticism, a rare formal word
Commonly confused: reprove or reprieve? reprove or reproach?
reprove vs reprieve
Reprieve means to postpone or cancel a punishment, whereas reprove means to criticize someone for wrong behavior.
reprove vs reproach
Reproach expresses disappointment or blame and can be silent, while reprove usually involves telling someone to behave better.
Practice
The teacher gently ___ the boy for forgetting his homework.
Choose one answer.
Reproved means mildly criticized to correct behavior. Reprieved sounds similar but means gave a delay to a punishment, which does not fit someone forgetting homework.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reprove”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.