HAVE WORDS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does have words mean? 

• HAVE WORDS (verb)
  The verb HAVE WORDS has 1 sense:

1. censure severely or angrily

  Familiarity information: HAVE WORDS used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HAVE WORDS (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Censure severely or angrily

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

lambast; trounce; take to task; scold; reprimand; remonstrate; rebuke; rag; lecture; lambaste; bawl out; jaw; have words; dress down; chide; chew up; chew out; call on the carpet; call down; berate

Context example:

The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup

Hypernyms (to "have words" is one way to...):

criticise; criticize; knock; pick apart (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "have words"):

castigate; chasten; chastise; correct; objurgate (censure severely)

brush down; tell off (reprimand)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

An’ didn’t they have words or a ruction of some kind?

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)