MEANING
To criticize someone's conduct, usually with the intention of correcting it.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- reprove someone for
- gently reprove
- reprove a child
On the page
The nurse reproved him for treating the frightened boy as a curiosity.
She gently reproved her assistant, then showed him how to mend the error.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- reprove
- Past tense
- reproved
- Past participle
- reproved
- Present participle
- reproving
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- reprove
- Present continuous
- am/is/are reproving
- Present perfect
- have/has reproved
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been reproving
- Past
- reproved
- Past continuous
- was/were reproving
- Past perfect
- had reproved
- Past perfect continuous
- had been reproving
- Future
- will reprove
- Future continuous
- will be reproving
- Future perfect
- will have reproved
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been reproving
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: reprove; reproves; reproved; reproved; reproving Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: reproves.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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