| 释义 |
take to task
Thesaurus| Verb | 1. take to task - censure severely or angrily; "The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car"; "The deputy ragged the Prime Minister"; "The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup"call on the carpet, chew out, chew up, chide, dress down, have words, bawl out, berate, rebuke, reproof, scold, reprimand, call down, lambast, lambaste, lecture, remonstrate, trounce, jaw, ragcastigate, chasten, chastise, objurgate, correct - censure severely; "She chastised him for his insensitive remarks"brush down, tell off - reprimand; "She told the misbehaving student off"criticise, criticize, pick apart, knock - find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws; "The paper criticized the new movie"; "Don't knock the food--it's free" |
take to task
take (one) to taskTo scold, reprimand, lecture, or hold one accountable for some wrong or error they committed. Mom took me to task over my terrible report card. You don't have to take everyone to task who misuses the word "literally," you know.See also: take, tasktake someone to taskto scold or reprimand someone. The teacher took John to task for his bad behavior. I lost a big contract, and the boss took me to task in front of everyone.See also: take, tasktake to taskUpbraid, scold; blame or censure. For example, The teacher took Doris to task for turning in such a sloppy report. This term, dating from the mid-1700s, at first meant either assigning or challenging someone to a task. Its current sense dates from the late 1800s. See also: take, tasktake to task, toTo reprimand; to blame or censure. This term was used from the mid-eighteenth century to mean either assigning or challenging someone to a task. In its present meaning it has been current only since the late nineteenth century. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used it in Captain Polestar (1890): “My employer took me severely to task.” It sounds a bit stilted now and may be dying out.See also: takeEncyclopediaSeetasktake to task
Related to take to task: take exception, On a par, take notice of, pick up the slack, give rise to, getting taken to taskSynonyms for take to taskverb censure severely or angrilySynonyms- call on the carpet
- chew out
- chew up
- chide
- dress down
- have words
- bawl out
- berate
- rebuke
- reproof
- scold
- reprimand
- call down
- lambast
- lambaste
- lecture
- remonstrate
- trounce
- jaw
- rag
Related Words- castigate
- chasten
- chastise
- objurgate
- correct
- brush down
- tell off
- criticise
- criticize
- pick apart
- knock
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