Definition of "scolding" [scold•ing]

• A harsh or sharp reprimand. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Regarding Palin "scolding" President Obama over his energy policy: I would like to scold Palin for her hypocrisy in saying "Country first" when her actions and words are all about "Me first"."
• "The target of this first Bracey memorial scolding is the otherwise admirable Green Dot Public Schools, whose Aug. 16 press release on test score gains at Locke High School in Los Angeles caught my eye."
• "If your 13 year old child is sending topless photos of herself to her ‘boyfriend’, a mild scolding from a government pamphlet is not going to address the root of the many problems inherent in such a situation."