# give someone a speaking to

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/give-someone-a-speaking-to
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To scold a person.

## Examples

- My father gave me a speaking to for coming home late.
- The manager gave the employee a speaking to after he arrived an hour late for the third time this week.
- After discovering the children had been playing near the dangerous cliff, their mother gave them a stern speaking to about the importance of following safety rules.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.