MEANING
1. To express disapproval of someone for conduct judged wrong or disappointing.
2. A person, thing, or circumstance that brings discredit to someone or something.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- reproach someone for
- reproach oneself
- a reproachful look
On the page
He reproached her for leaving, though she had warned him for months.
She reproached herself for the relief she felt when the train finally departed.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- reproach
- Past tense
- reproached
- Past participle
- reproached
- Present participle
- reproaching
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- reproach
- Present continuous
- am/is/are reproaching
- Present perfect
- have/has reproached
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been reproaching
- Past
- reproached
- Past continuous
- was/were reproaching
- Past perfect
- had reproached
- Past perfect continuous
- had been reproaching
- Future
- will reproach
- Future continuous
- will be reproaching
- Future perfect
- will have reproached
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been reproaching
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: reproach; reproaches; reproached; reproached; reproaching Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: reproaches.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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