lecture

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a long, serious talk given to someone to criticize their behavior.

n. a lengthy and formal reprimand or scolding, often delivered in a stern or moralizing tone.

“My father gave me a long lecture about coming home late.”

“After the window was broken, the headteacher gave the students a stern lecture on the importance of respecting school property.”

B1 · Intermediate Academic

v. to give a formal talk to a group of people to teach them a subject.

v. to deliver an educational discourse to a group; often used intransitively to describe a professional role.

“She lectures at the local college every Tuesday morning.”

“He has spent the last decade lecturing on international law at various prestigious institutions across Europe.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

v. to talk to someone in an angry or serious way because they have done something wrong.

v. to reprimand or criticize someone at length, often in a way that feels superior or annoying.

“I don't need you to lecture me about my diet.”

“The manager spent twenty minutes lecturing the staff on punctuality instead of addressing the actual technical issues.”