reproach

reproach

English

WOTD – 10 February 2009

Etymology

Old French reprochier (Modern reprocher).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈpɹəʊtʃ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈpɹoʊt͡ʃ/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -əʊtʃ

Noun

reproach (countable and uncountable, plural reproaches)

1. A mild rebuke, or an implied criticism.
   • 1818, Mary Shelley, chapter 4, in Frankenstein‎, archived from the original on 30 October 2011:

     My father made no reproach in his letters and only took notice of my science by inquiring into my occupations more particularly than before.

2. Disgrace or shame.
3. (countable) An object of scorn.

Synonyms

• obloquy, opprobrium

Translations

mild rebuke, or an implied criticism

Arabic: تَأْنِيب‎ m (taʾnīb), عَذَل‎ m (ʿaḏal), مَلاَمَة‎ f (malāma) Azerbaijani: irad, qaxınc Bulgarian: упрек (bg) m (uprek), укор (bg) m (ukor) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Czech: výtka (cs) f, výčitka (cs) f Danish: bebrejdelse c Dutch: berisping (nl) f Egyptian: (ḏbꜥw m) Esperanto: riproĉo (eo) Finnish: moite (fi) French: reproche (fr) m Georgian: საყვედური (saq̇veduri) German: Vorwurf (de) m Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 f (gasahts) Greek: Ancient: ὄνειδος n (óneidos) Hungarian: szemrehányás (hu) Irish: aifirt f, oirbhire f, aisc f (literary), achasán m Italian: rimbrotto (it) m, rimprovero (it) m, appunto (it) m, richiamo (it) m, reprimenda (it) f Norwegian: Bokmål: bebreidelse (no) m Persian: سرزنش‎ (fa) (sarzaneš) Polish: zarzut (pl) m Portuguese: reprimenda (pt) f, reproche (pt) m, admoestação (pt) f Romanian: reproș (ro) Russian: упрёк (ru) m (uprjók), уко́р (ru) m (ukór) Sanskrit: निन्दा (sa) f (nindā) Scottish Gaelic: achmhasan m, càineadh m, cronachadh m, trod m Serbo-Croatian: prekor m, prijekor (sh) m, zamjerka (sh) f, prigovor (sh) m, zamerka (sh) f Spanish: reproche (es) m Tagalog: pagsabihan Ukrainian: докір m (dokir)

disgrace or shame

Bulgarian: срам (bg) m (sram), позор (bg) m (pozor) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Czech: hanba (cs) f Dutch: schande (nl) f, schaamte (nl) f Finnish: häpeä (fi) French: opprobre (fr) m Georgian: სირცხვილი (sircxvili) German: Schande (de) f Greek: Ancient: αἰσχύνη f (aiskhúnē) Hungarian: szégyen (hu) Italian: infamia (it) f, vergogna (it) f, riprovazione (it) f Polish: hańba (pl) f Portuguese: vergonha (pt) f Russian: позо́р (ru) m (pozór) Scottish Gaelic: masladh m Serbo-Croatian: sramota (sh), blamaža (sh) Spanish: vergüenza (es) f

Verb

reproach (third-person singular simple present reproaches, present participle reproaching, simple past and past participle reproached)

1. (transitive) To criticize or rebuke (someone).
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 1 Peter 4:14:

     if ye be reproached for the name of Christ

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     this new commer, Shame,
     There sit not, and reproach us as unclean.

   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432:

     Mezentius […] with his ardour warmed / His fainting friends, reproached their shameful flight, / Repelled the victors.

2. (transitive) To disgrace, or bring shame upon.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene i]:

     I thought your marriage fit; else imputation, / For that he knew you, might reproach your life.

Synonyms

• (to criticize or rebuke): blame, rebuke, upbraid
• (to disgrace): disgrace, dishonor
• See also Thesaurus:reprehend

Derived terms

• beyond reproach
• reproachful
• reproachable

Translations

to criticize or rebuke someone

Armenian: հանդիմանել (hy) (handimanel) Azerbaijani: qınamaq, irad tutmaq Bulgarian: упреквам (bg) (uprekvam), укорявам (bg) (ukorjavam) Catalan: retreure (ca) Cebuano: basol Chinese: Mandarin: 谴责 (zh), 责备 (zh), 批评 (zh) Cornish: keredhi Czech: vyčítat (cs), kárat (cs) Danish: bebrejde (da) Dutch: berispen (nl) Esperanto: riproĉi, admoni Finnish: moittia (fi) French: reprocher (fr) Georgian: დატუქსვა (daṭuksva) German: einen Vorwurf machen, Vorwürfe machen, vorwerfen (de) Greek: Ancient: ὀνειδίζω (oneidízō) Hungarian: szemrehányást tesz (hu), felró (hu), szemére hány Irish: achasán a thabhairt (do dhuine), imdhearg, aifir Italian: rimbrottare (it), rimproverare (it), richiamare (it), riprendere (it) Latin: opprobrō Maori: kōwhetewhete Norwegian: Bokmål: bebreide, klandre Nynorsk: bebreide (nn) Polish: zarzucać (pl) Portuguese: reprochar (pt), repreender (pt) Romanian: reproșa (ro), imputa (ro) Russian: упрека́ть (ru) (uprekátʹ), укоря́ть (ru) (ukorjátʹ) Scots: upcast Scottish Gaelic: càin, cronaich, troid Spanish: reprochar (es) Swedish: klandra (sv), förebrå (sv) Tagalog: pagsabihan Tocharian B: nāk- Ugaritic: 𐎂𐎓𐎗 (gʿr) Ukrainian: дорікати impf (dorikaty), дорікнути pf (doriknuty), доректи pf (dorekty), докоряти impf (dokorjaty) Welsh: edliw (cy)

to disgrace, or bring shame upon someone

Bulgarian: засрамвам (bg) (zasramvam) Chinese: Mandarin: 羞辱 (zh), Dutch: beschamen (nl) Finnish: tuottaa häpeää, saattaa häpeään Hungarian: megszégyenít (hu) Italian: infamare (it), svergognare (it) Norwegian: Bokmål: håne Polish: zarzucać (pl) Russian: упрека́ть (ru) (uprekátʹ), укоря́ть (ru) (ukorjátʹ) Spanish: avergonzar (es), echar en cara algo Turkish: abırlamak (tr)