telling-off
noun/ˌtelɪŋ ˈɒf/
/ˌtelɪŋ ˈɔːf/
[usually singular] (plural tellings-off)
(British English, informal)- the act of speaking angrily to somebody, especially a child, because they have done something bad
- The nurse gave him a telling-off for smoking in the hospital.
Check pronunciation:
telling-off