MEANING
To argue earnestly with someone in protest or disapproval, urging reconsideration.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- expostulate with a colleague
- expostulate about a decision
On the page
She expostulated with him until he finally explained the missing paragraph.
The steward expostulated about the decision but carried out the order.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- expostulate
- Past tense
- expostulated
- Past participle
- expostulated
- Present participle
- expostulating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- expostulate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are expostulating
- Present perfect
- have/has expostulated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been expostulating
- Past
- expostulated
- Past continuous
- was/were expostulating
- Past perfect
- had expostulated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been expostulating
- Future
- will expostulate
- Future continuous
- will be expostulating
- Future perfect
- will have expostulated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been expostulating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: expostulate; expostulates; expostulated; expostulated; expostulating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: expostulates.
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