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Upbraid

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up-BRAYD

Definition

(verb) To scold or criticize someone severely or angrily.

Example

The coach upbraided the team for their lack of effort during practice.

Word Origin

Old English: from “upbregdan,” literally meaning “to bring up against,” from “up” + “bregdan” meaning “to move quickly or snatch.”

Fun Fact

Upbraid suggests criticism that comes from above—a superior scolding a subordinate, making the power dynamic clear in the word itself. Unlike casual criticism, upbraiding carries moral weight and disappointed authority. The “braid” element originally meant to snatch or brandish, giving upbraid a sense of someone wielding their disapproval like a weapon. Biblical texts frequently use upbraid when describing divine or parental reproach. While we’ve mostly replaced it with simpler words like scold or criticize, upbraid maintains its useful specificity for those moments when ordinary criticism isn’t harsh enough.