Meaning & use
reproved
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“reproved” is a form of “reprove”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitiveformal
Past tense and past participle of reprove: told someone, usually gently but seriously, that they had done something wrong.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with for: she reproved him for being rude.
Patterns
- reprove someone for something
- reprove someone for doing something
The teacher reproved the boy for talking during the assembly.
She reproved her brother gently for interrupting their guest.
The coach reproved the team for their careless play.
Word forms
| base form | reprove |
|---|---|
| third person singular | reproves |
| past tense | reproved |
| -ing form | reproving |
Common combinations
- reproved for being late
- He was reproved for being late again.
- gently reproved
- The child was gently reproved by her grandmother.
- sharply reproved
- The manager sharply reproved the staff member.
- reproved by a teacher
- The class was reproved by the teacher for the noise.
- reproved him for his rudeness
- She reproved him for his rudeness at dinner.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scolded
- Scolded is more common and usually sounds angrier than reproved, which suggests a calmer, more dignified correction.
- rebuked
- Rebuked is stronger and more public, whereas reproved suggests mild disapproval.
- admonished
- Admonished carries the idea of a warning about future behavior, while reproved focuses on what was already done.
- told off
- This is the informal British phrase, and it would sound out of place in formal writing where reproved fits.
Opposites
Word family
- reproof noun
- an expression of disapproval
- reproving adjective
- showing disapproval
- reprovingly adverb
- in a way that shows disapproval
Commonly confused: reproved or reproved vs. improved? reproved or reprove vs. reprove (prove again)?
reproved vs reproved vs. improved
Reproved sounds a little like improved but means scolded, not made better.
reproved vs reprove vs. reprove (prove again)
The word has nothing to do with proving something again, which is spelled re-prove with a hyphen.
Practice
The librarian ___ the students for shouting.
Choose one answer.
Reproved means told someone off for doing wrong, which fits shouting in a library. Approved is tempting because it sounds similar but means the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reproved”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.