reproach

English

WOTD – 10 February 2009

Etymology

From Middle English reprochen, from Old French reprochier (Modern French reprocher).

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

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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^[1], 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

Derived terms

• self-reproach

Translations

mild rebuke, or an implied criticism

• Arabic: تَأْنِيب m (taʔnīb), عَذَل m (ʕaḏal), مَلاَمَة f (malāma)
• Azerbaijani: irad, qaxınc
• Belarusian: дако́р m (dakór), папро́к m (paprók), за́кід m (zákid)
• Bulgarian: у́прек (bg) m (úprek), у́кор (bg) m (úkor)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 責備／责备 (zh) (zébèi)

• 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, réprobation (fr) f
• Georgian: საყვედური (saq̇veduri)
• German: Vorwurf (de) m
• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 f (gasahts)
• Greek: επίπληξη (el) f (epíplixi)

  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
• Japanese: 非難 (ja) (ひなん, hinan)
• Korean: 비난(非難) (ko) (binan), 책망(責望) (chaengmang), 나무람 (ko) (namuram)
• Macedonian: прекор m (prekor), укор m (ukor)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: bebreidelse (no) m

• Persian: سَرزَنِش (fa) (sarzaneš)
• Polish: zarzut (pl) m, wyrzut (pl) m
• Portuguese: reprimenda (pt) f, reproche (pt) m, admoestação (pt) f
• Romanian: reproș (ro) n
• Russian: упрёк (ru) m (uprjók), уко́р (ru) m (ukór), укори́зна (ru) f (ukorízna)
• Sanskrit: निन्दा (sa) f (nindā)
• Scottish Gaelic: achmhasan m, càineadh m, cronachadh m, trod m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: prekor m, prijekor (sh) m, zamjerka (sh) f, prigovor (sh) m, zamerka (sh) f

• Slovak: výčitka f
• Slovene: očitek m
• Spanish: reproche (es) m
• Swedish: förebråelse (sv) c
• Tagalog: pagsabihan
• Ukrainian: до́кір m (dókir), докі́р m (dokír), за́кид m (zákyd)

disgrace or shame

• Belarusian: га́ньба f (hánʹba), со́рам m (sóram)
• Bulgarian: срам (bg) m (sram), позо́р (bg) m (pozór)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 恥辱／耻辱 (zh) (chǐrǔ)

• 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
• Japanese: 恥辱 (ja) (ちじょく, chijoku)
• Korean: 치욕(恥辱) (ko) (chiyok)
• Macedonian: срамота f (sramota), срам m (sram)
• Polish: hańba (pl) f
• Portuguese: vergonha (pt) f
• Russian: позо́р (ru) m (pozór), срам (ru) m (sram)
• Scottish Gaelic: masladh m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: sramota (sh) f, blamaža (sh) f

• Slovak: hanba (sk) f
• Slovene: sramota (sl) f
• Spanish: vergüenza (es) f
• Ukrainian: ганьба́ (uk) f (hanʹbá), со́ром m (sórom)

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To criticize or rebuke (someone).

   Synonyms: exprobrate, blame, rebuke, upbraid; see also Thesaurus:criticize

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Peter 4:14:

     if ye be reproached for the name of Christ

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     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:

     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, [Act V, scene i]:

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

Synonyms

• (to disgrace): disgrace, dishonor
• See also Thesaurus:reprehend

Derived terms

• beyond reproach
• reproachful
• reproachable

Translations

to criticize or rebuke someone

• Arabic: أَنَّبَ (ar) (ʔannaba), أَلَامَ (ʔalāma), عَتَبَ (ʕataba)
• Armenian: հանդիմանել (hy) (handimanel)
• Azerbaijani: qınamaq, irad tutmaq
• Belarusian: папрака́ць impf (paprakácʹ), папракну́ць pf (papraknúcʹ)
• Bulgarian: упре́квам (bg) impf (uprékvam), упре́кна pf (uprékna), укоря́вам (bg) impf (ukorjávam)
• Catalan: retreure (ca)
• Cebuano: basol
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 責備／责备 (zh) (zébèi), 譴責／谴责 (zh) (qiǎnzé), 批評／批评 (zh) (pīpíng)

• Cornish: keredhi
• Czech: vyčítat (cs) impf, vyčíst (cs) pf, vytýkat impf, vytknout (cs) pf, kárat (cs) impf
• Danish: bebrejde (da)
• Dutch: berispen (nl)
• Esperanto: criproĉi, 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)
• Japanese: 非難する (ja) (ひなんする, hinan suru), 責める (ja) (せめる, semeru)
• Korean: 비난하다 (ko) (binanhada), 책망하다 (chaengmanghada), 꾸짖다 (ko) (kkujitda), 나무라다 (ko) (namurada)
• Latin: opprobrō
• Macedonian: пререкува impf (prerekuva), пререче pf (prereče)
• Maori: kōwhetewhete
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: bebreide, klandre

  Nynorsk: bebreide (nn)

• Polish: zarzucać (pl) impf, zarzucić (pl) pf
• Portuguese: reprochar (pt), repreender (pt)
• Romanian: a reproșa (ro), a imputa (ro)
• Russian: упрека́ть (ru) impf (uprekátʹ), упрекну́ть (ru) pf (upreknútʹ), укоря́ть (ru) impf (ukorjátʹ), кори́ть (ru) impf (korítʹ)
• Scots: upcast
• Scottish Gaelic: càin, cronaich, troid
• Slovak: vyčítať impf, vytýkať impf
• Slovene: očitati impf, oštevati impf
• Spanish: reprochar (es)
• Swedish: klandra (sv), förebrå (sv)
• Tagalog: pagsabihan
• Tocharian B: nāk-
• Ugaritic: 𐎂𐎓𐎗 (gʿr)
• Ukrainian: доріка́ти impf (dorikáty), дорікну́ти pf (doriknúty), доректи́ pf (dorektý), докоря́ти impf (dokorjáty)
• Welsh: edliw (cy)

to disgrace, or bring shame upon someone

• Bulgarian: позоря́ (bg) impf (pozorjá), засра́мвам (bg) impf (zasrámvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 羞辱 (zh) (xiūrǔ)

• Dutch: beschamen (nl)
• Finnish: tuottaa häpeää, saattaa häpeään
• Hungarian: megszégyenít (hu)
• Italian: infamare (it), svergognare (it)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: håne

• Polish: hańbić (pl) impf, zhańbić pf
• Russian: позо́рить (ru) impf (pozóritʹ), опозо́рить (ru) pf (opozóritʹ), бесче́стить (ru) impf (besčéstitʹ), обесче́стить (ru) pf (obesčéstitʹ), срами́ть (ru) impf (sramítʹ), осрами́ть (ru) pf (osramítʹ)
• Spanish: avergonzar (es), echar en cara algo
• Turkish: abırlamak (tr)