tr.v. re·buked, re·buk·ing, re·bukes 1. To criticize (someone) sharply; reprimand. See Synonyms at admonish. 2. To express sharp criticism regarding (an act, for example): "a series of sweeping decisions that rebuked the investigators' presumptions" (Donald A. Ritchie). 3. Obsolete To check or repress. n. An expression of strong disapproval. [Middle English rebuken, from Old North French rebuker : re-, back (from Latin; see RE-) + *buker, to strike, chop wood (variant of Old French buschier, from busche, firewood, of Germanic origin).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.