have words meaning

Definition of have words

1. censure severely or angrily
   • The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car
   • The deputy ragged the Prime Minister
   • The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup

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

   Type of: knock

   Kinds: chastise, tell off

have words in a sentence

• There are a lot of things we didn't have words for 100 years ago that nevertheless existed.

How to pronounce have words

have words is pronounced /həv wɜːdz/ in British English and /hæv wɝdz/ in American English. It has 2 syllables.