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To rebuke someone is to tell them off, seriously and often publicly, for something they did wrong. It is not just being — there is a sense of a higher position speaking down to a lower one: a judge rebukes a lawyer, a boss rebukes a manager, a court rebukes the government, a teacher rebukes a student.
To rebuke someonerebuke某人 is是, for something they did wrong因為他們做錯了事, to tell them off訓斥他們, seriously and often publicly很嚴肅、常常公開地. It is not just being annoyed這不只是生氣而已 — there is a sense of a higher position speaking down to a lower one裡面帶著一種居上位者對下位者說話的味道: a judge rebukes a lawyer法官rebuke律師, a boss rebukes a manager老闆rebuke經理, a court rebukes the government法院rebuke政府, a teacher rebukes a student老師rebuke學生。
It also works as a noun: 'a sharp rebuke', 'his words were a rebuke to everyone in the room'. The word is formal, and quite strong.
It also works as a noun它也可以當名詞用: 'a sharp rebuke'「a sharp rebuke」（嚴厲的斥責）, 'his words were a rebuke to everyone in the room'或「his words were a rebuke to everyone in the room」（他的話是對房裡每個人的斥責）。 The word is formal這個字很正式, and quite strong語氣也相當強烈。
In everyday speech people say 'told him off', 'gave her a talking-to', 'chewed him out' (American, rough), or just 'criticised'. 'Rebuke' belongs to news writing, formal reports, and — — the Bible and older literature, which is part of why it can sound weighty and a bit old-fashioned in a way that suits serious moments.
In everyday speech在日常說話裡, people say大家會說 'told him off'「told him off」, 'gave her a talking-to'「gave her a talking-to」, 'chewed him out' (American, rough)「chewed him out」（美式、比較粗魯）, or just 'criticised'或直接說「criticised」。 'Rebuke' belongs to「rebuke」屬於 news writing, formal reports新聞寫作、正式報告, and — noticeably — the Bible and older literature還有——特別值得注意——《聖經》和較早期的文學, which is part of why it can sound weighty and a bit old-fashioned這也是為什麼它聽起來莊重、有點老派 in a way that suits serious moments很適合嚴肅的場合。
One thing worth noticing: a rebuke can be silent, or , in careful writing. 'Her simple honesty was a rebuke to all of them' — nobody spoke, but everyone felt criticised. That stretched use is common in good writing and is worth recognising when you meet it.
One thing worth noticing有一件事值得注意: in careful writing在講究的寫作裡, a rebuke can be silent, or wordlessrebuke可以是沉默的、不必開口的. 'Her simple honesty was a rebuke to all of them'「Her simple honesty was a rebuke to all of them」（她單純的誠實，對他們所有人都是一種斥責） — nobody spoke沒有人開口, but everyone felt criticised但每個人都感覺被指責了. That stretched use這種延伸用法 is common in good writing在好的寫作裡很常見 and is worth recognising when you meet it遇到的時候值得認出來。
組成re- (back) + an old French word for striking or chopping at wood, which itself goes back to a word for a bush or a grove of trees. So the oldest picture inside 'rebuke' is beating someone back — the way you would beat back branches. The scolding sense grew out of that picture of pushing someone away with blows.
原始詞典資料2 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
rebukenoun/ɹiˈbjuːk/
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A harsh criticism.
- There was the sternness of an old-fashioned Tour patron in his rebuke to the young Frenchman Pierre Rolland, the only one to ride away from the peloton and seize the opportunity for a lone attack before being absorbed back into the bunch, where he was received with coolness.
- U.S. Vice President JD Vance met Saturday with the Vatican's No. 2 official, following a remarkable papal rebuke of the Trump administration’s crackdown on migrants and Vance’s theological justification of it.
rebukeverb/ɹiˈbjuːk/
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To criticise harshly; to reprove.
- O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.
- When Morrison mulls the pluses and minuses associated with rebuking Kelly for undermining the government’s public health messaging, the prime minister faces a genuine substantive dilemma, and that goes to the risks of amplification.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。