"lambast" in the verb sense

1. cane, flog, lambaste, lambast

beat with a cane

2. call on the carpet, take to task, rebuke, rag, trounce, lecture, reprimand, jaw, dress down, call down, scold, chide, berate, bawl out, remonstrate, chew out, chew up, have words, lambaste, lambast

censure severely or angrily

"The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car"

"The deputy ragged the Prime Minister"

"The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

Princeton University "About WordNet®."
WordNet®. Princeton University. 2010.

View WordNet® License