ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chew out

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford

phr. v.. 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.

phr. v.. 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.


SIMPLE

The coach will chew out the team if they lose.

CONTEXTUAL

My boss chewed me out for twenty minutes because I forgot to send the report.

COMPLEX

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
Usage

The object can be placed between 'chew' and 'out'.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'scold' (formal) or 'tell off' (neutral/common); 'chew out' suggests a more aggressive or loud verbal attack.

Pitfall

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.

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