Have you ever made a mistake and someone looked at you with disappointment? Maybe a teacher said, “You should have done better.” That feeling is often called reproach.
The word reproach means to blame someone or show disapproval for something they did. It can be spoken words, criticism, or even a disappointed look. For example, a parent may reproach a child for not doing homework.
Learning synonyms of reproach helps you explain blame or criticism in many ways. Students can improve essays, bloggers can write more clearly, and everyday English users can express their feelings better.
Below are 50 synonyms of reproach with simple meanings and short examples.
Blame
Meaning: To say someone is responsible for a mistake.
Examples:
- She blamed him for the broken vase.
- The coach blamed the team for the loss.
Criticize
Meaning: To say what is wrong with something.
Examples:
- The teacher criticized his homework.
- She criticized the plan politely.
Scold
Meaning: To speak angrily to someone for doing wrong.
Examples:
- The mother scolded her child.
- The boss scolded the worker.
Rebuke
Meaning: To strongly show disapproval.
Examples:
- The manager rebuked the employee.
- She rebuked him for lying.
Reprimand
Meaning: To officially scold someone.
Examples:
- The teacher reprimanded the student.
- The officer reprimanded the guard.
Admonish
Meaning: To warn or correct someone.
Examples:
- The coach admonished the players.
- She admonished him to work harder.
Chide
Meaning: To gently scold someone.
Examples:
- She chided her brother for being late.
- The teacher chided the class softly.
Condemn
Meaning: To strongly say something is wrong.
Examples:
- People condemned the crime.
- The leader condemned the action.
Accuse
Meaning: To say someone did something wrong.
Examples:
- He accused her of cheating.
- They accused him of lying.
Disapprove
Meaning: To show you think something is wrong.
Examples:
- Her parents disapprove of the plan.
- He disapproved of their behavior.
Censure
Meaning: To strongly criticize.
Examples:
- The council censured the officer.
- The report censured the decision.
Upbraid
Meaning: To angrily blame someone.
Examples:
- She upbraided him for forgetting.
- The teacher upbraided the noisy class.
Berate
Meaning: To angrily criticize someone.
Examples:
- The boss berated the worker.
- She berated him for the mistake.
Lecture
Meaning: To talk seriously to someone about their mistake.
Examples:
- The father lectured his son.
- The coach lectured the team.
Complain
Meaning: To say you are unhappy about something.
Examples:
- She complained about the noise.
- He complained about the delay.
Find Fault
Meaning: To look for mistakes in something.
Examples:
- He always finds fault in plans.
- She found fault with the design.
Disparage
Meaning: To speak about something as if it is not good.
Examples:
- He disparaged the idea.
- She disparaged his effort.
Denounce
Meaning: To strongly say something is wrong.
Examples:
- The leader denounced corruption.
- She denounced the unfair rule.
Call Out
Meaning: To openly say someone did wrong.
Examples:
- The teacher called out cheating.
- She called him out for lying.
Take to Task
Meaning: To strongly correct someone.
Examples:
- The boss took him to task.
- The coach took players to task.
Tell Off
Meaning: To angrily speak to someone about a mistake.
Examples:
- She told him off for shouting.
- The teacher told the boys off.
Chew Out
Meaning: To strongly scold someone.
Examples:
- The boss chewed him out.
- She chewed out the lazy worker.
Knock
Meaning: To criticize something.
Examples:
- Critics knocked the movie.
- He knocked the idea quickly.
Slam
Meaning: To strongly criticize.
Examples:
- The news slammed the policy.
- Critics slammed the film.
Blast
Meaning: To criticize loudly.
Examples:
- The coach blasted the team.
- She blasted the poor service.
Reprove
Meaning: To express disapproval.
Examples:
- The teacher reproved the student.
- She reproved him for lying.
Correct
Meaning: To show someone their mistake.
Examples:
- The teacher corrected his answer.
- She corrected the wrong step.
Discipline
Meaning: To punish or correct behavior.
Examples:
- The school disciplined the student.
- Parents disciplined their child.
Fault
Meaning: To blame someone.
Examples:
- He faulted her for the error.
- The coach faulted the defense.
Object
Meaning: To say you disagree.
Examples:
- She objected to the plan.
- He objected to the rule.
Protest
Meaning: To strongly disagree.
Examples:
- Workers protested the decision.
- Students protested the rule.
Discredit
Meaning: To say something is not good or true.
Examples:
- He tried to discredit the report.
- They discredited the rumor.
Shame
Meaning: To make someone feel bad for a mistake.
Examples:
- She shamed him for lying.
- The crowd shamed the player.
Humiliate
Meaning: To make someone feel very embarrassed.
Examples:
- The teacher humiliated the bully.
- He felt humiliated by the comment.
Rebuke Harshly
Meaning: To strongly scold someone.
Examples:
- The officer rebuked him harshly.
- She rebuked the worker harshly.
Dislike
Meaning: To show you do not approve.
Examples:
- He disliked the rude behavior.
- She disliked the lazy work.
Critique
Meaning: To carefully judge something.
Examples:
- The teacher critiqued the essay.
- She critiqued the design.
Disfavor
Meaning: To show a lack of approval.
Examples:
- The boss disfavored the plan.
- The rule fell into disfavor.
Blame Publicly
Meaning: To criticize in front of others.
Examples:
- The manager blamed him publicly.
- She blamed the team publicly.
Question
Meaning: To doubt something.
Examples:
- She questioned his decision.
- The teacher questioned the answer.
Doubt
Meaning: To feel something may be wrong.
Examples:
- He doubted the story.
- She doubted the plan.
Oppose
Meaning: To disagree strongly.
Examples:
- They opposed the new law.
- She opposed the decision.
Reject
Meaning: To refuse or disapprove.
Examples:
- The board rejected the plan.
- He rejected the offer.
Rebuke Openly
Meaning: To criticize in public.
Examples:
- The leader rebuked him openly.
- She rebuked the mistake openly.
Ridicule
Meaning: To laugh at someone’s mistake.
Examples:
- They ridiculed the idea.
- He ridiculed the poor plan.
Mock
Meaning: To make fun of someone.
Examples:
- Kids mocked the bully.
- He mocked the silly rule.
Disparage Publicly
Meaning: To criticize openly.
Examples:
- He disparaged the project publicly.
- She disparaged the idea openly.
Rebuke Gently
Meaning: To correct someone softly.
Examples:
- The teacher rebuked him gently.
- She rebuked the child kindly.
Show Disapproval
Meaning: To express that something is wrong.
Examples:
- He showed disapproval of cheating.
- She showed disapproval quietly.
Call to Account
Meaning: To demand an explanation for mistakes.
Examples:
- The boss called him to account.
- The leader called the team to account.
Conclusion
Learning synonyms of reproach helps you describe blame, criticism, or disapproval more clearly. Instead of repeating the same word, you can choose different expressions depending on the situation.
This improves writing, blogging, speaking, and communication. Try using these words in emails, essays, stories, and daily conversations to make your English stronger and more expressive.
