chew out
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to talk to someone in an angry way because they did something wrong. You use this when a person in charge is very upset with you.
phrasal verb. to reprimand or scold someone severely and at length. This phrasal verb is informal and typically implies a power imbalance, such as a boss to an employee.
The coach will chew out the team if they lose.
My boss chewed me out for twenty minutes because I forgot to send the report.
The sergeant proceeded to chew out the recruits for their lack of discipline during the morning drills, leaving them visibly shaken.
- Particles
- out
- Separability
- optional
- Pattern
- chew + (object) + out
The object can be placed between 'chew' and 'out'.
contrast with 'scold' (formal) or 'tell off' (neutral/common); 'chew out' suggests a more aggressive or loud verbal attack.
He chewed out to me.He chewed me out.this is a transitive phrasal verb and does not take the preposition 'to' before the object.
Last updated April 24, 2026