Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To express disapproval of, criticism of, or disappointment in (someone). synonym: admonish.
  • noun An expression of blame or disapproval; a rebuke.
  • noun Blame or disapproval.
  • noun One that stands as a rebuke or blame.
  • idiom (above/beyond) So good as to preclude any possibility of criticism.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To charge with a fault; censure with severity; upbraid: now usually with a personal object.
  • To disgrace.
  • Synonyms Reprove, Rebuke, etc. (see censure); revile, vilify, accuse.
  • noun The act of reproaching; a severe expression of censure or blame.
  • noun An occasion of blame or censure, shame, infamy, or disgrace; also, the state of being subject to blame or censure; a state of disgrace.
  • noun An object of contempt, scorn, or derision.
  • noun Synonyms Monition, Reprehension, etc. (see admonition), blame, reviling, abuse, invective, vilification, upbraiding.
  • noun Disrepute, discredit, dishonor, scandal, contumely.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To come back to, or come home to, as a matter of blame; to bring shame or disgrace upon; to disgrace.
  • transitive verb To attribute blame to; to allege something disgraceful against; to charge with a fault; to censure severely or contemptuously; to upbraid.
  • noun The act of reproaching; censure mingled with contempt; contumelious or opprobrious language toward any person; abusive reflections.
  • noun A cause of blame or censure; shame; disgrace.
  • noun An object of blame, censure, scorn, or derision.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A mild rebuke, or an implied criticism.
  • noun Disgrace or shame.
  • verb To criticize or rebuke someone.
  • verb To disgrace, or bring shame upon someone.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun disgrace or shame
  • noun a mild rebuke or criticism
  • verb express criticism towards

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English reprochen, from Old French reprochier, from Vulgar Latin *repropiāre : Latin re-, re- + Latin prope, near; see per in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old French reprochier (Modern reprocher).

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Examples

  • A measure of the Administration's responsiveness is that the NLRB launched its assault on Boeing after the BRT provided those examples, and President Obama has refused to say a word of reproach to the agency.

    The NLRB Fear Factor 2011

  • She looked at him in reproach so deep that the last vestige of the terror of death was gone from her eyes.

    THE KANAKA SURF 2010

  • My sense, however, is that the Pennsylvanian William Findley spoke for many others in 1796 when he said that the people who raised objections to the Constitution during the ratification struggle were “called Anti-federalists, as a name of reproach,” and then added, “I do, and always did, treat the appellation with contempt.”

    Ratification Pauline Maier 2010

  • My sense, however, is that the Pennsylvanian William Findley spoke for many others in 1796 when he said that the people who raised objections to the Constitution during the ratification struggle were “called Anti-federalists, as a name of reproach,” and then added, “I do, and always did, treat the appellation with contempt.”

    Ratification Pauline Maier 2010

  • My sense, however, is that the Pennsylvanian William Findley spoke for many others in 1796 when he said that the people who raised objections to the Constitution during the ratification struggle were “called Anti-federalists, as a name of reproach,” and then added, “I do, and always did, treat the appellation with contempt.”

    Ratification Pauline Maier 2010

  • Why anybody would vote for people who want to extend government's control to be able to do this kind of thing without reproach is beyond me.

    Sound Politics: Absence of Justice 2006

  • Not a word of reproach was said when Ali returned to the ring against Quarry and Bonavena, though the Messenger had inveighed against the evils of sports.

    Sound and Fury Dave Kindred 2006

  • It was, as the Oxford English Dictionary later concluded, “essentially a term of reproach.”

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • It was, as the Oxford English Dictionary later concluded, “essentially a term of reproach.”

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • It was, as the Oxford English Dictionary later concluded, “essentially a term of reproach.”

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

Comments

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  • Something that I am not beyond!

    April 8, 2007

  • To proach again.

    April 26, 2008

  • Holmes would do this to Watson sometimes when he thought Watson had put too much color and life into the write ups of their cases.

    August 9, 2012