English Explanatory Dictionary

read someone the riot act

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.
  2. To give a formal warning for a riotous assembly to disperse, usually through reading a section of the Riot Act.

Pronunciation

En-au-read someone the riot act.ogg

Word forms

read someone the riot act reads someone the riot act reading someone the riot act read the riot act

Etymology

The Riot Act is a historical British Act of Parliament enacted in 1714, which stated that once a statutory warning was read out to rioters and they failed to disperse within one hour, then authorities may use any force to disperse them with impunity.

Synonyms

admonish animadvert bash bawl out slash lash blame scorch blast berate berisp castigate censure charge chastise chew out chide condemn criticize denounce denunciate deprecate derogate dispraise drag dress down eat someone alive excoriate find fault fulminate get at get down get up give somebody a piece of one's mind give somebody what-for inveigh lace into lambaste lay into lecture light into objurgate pooh-pooh put someone on blast rate read somebody the riot act rebuke reprehend reprimand reproach reprove rip into rubbish savage scold skewer slam slate tear into tell off

Related words

lay down the law Riot Act
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