Lingo

Rebuke

8 Words

4m

1.
sharp tongue
Noun

one's tendency to speak to people in a very critical manner

Known for her sharp tongue, the professor could quickly dismantle weak arguments with concise and biting remarks.

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2.
[skin] {sb} alive
Phrase

to punish a person harshly, often by severely criticizing them

After the disastrous business presentation, the manager threatened to skin the sales team alive for their lack of preparation.

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3.
[tear] a strip off {sb}
Phrase

to speak to or criticize a person in an angry or serious manner, particularly because of their wrongdoing

When the employee made a serious error on the important report, the manager tore a strip off him during the meeting, expressing disappointment and frustration.

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4.
{sb} (can|could) dish it out, but {sb} (cannot|could not) take it
content.sentence

used to mean that someone is capable of criticizing or teasing others, but they become sensitive or defensive when faced with the same kind of criticism or teasing themselves

Basically, he was a bully, and like most bullies, he could dish it out, but couldn't take it.

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5.
[eat] {sb} alive
Phrase

to make someone experience extreme pain or distress

The competitive nature of the industry was known to eat inexperienced entrepreneurs alive, making it challenging for them to thrive.

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6.
under fire
Phrase

(of a person or place) being the target of a shooting

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7.
under siege
Phrase

in a situation in which a place is surrounded and under intense military or law enforcement pressure

The city was under siege and food was getting scarce.

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8.
[give] {sb} hell
Phrase

to criticize or scold someone harshly or relentlessly

After the employee's repeated mistakes, the manager gave them hell during the performance review, highlighting the need for improvement.

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