reproachfuladj.n.

1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour iii. vi. f. 189 Addynge there vnto reprochefull wordes agayne Xerxes.

1548 T. Cooper Bibliotheca Eliotæ (rev. ed.) Contumeliosus,..spitefull, reprochfull.

1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie iii. xix. 175 I choose to name him the Reprochfull or scorner.

1649 J. Milton Observations in Articles of Peace with Irish Rebels 50 A long digression of evill and reproachfull language to the Parlament and Army of England.

a1656 J. Hales Golden Remains (1659) i. 106 He is rewarded with no less reproachful a name then that of Satan.

1769 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. IV. xviii. 252 Neither are mere reproachful words, as calling a man knave or liar, any breach of the peace.

a1790 B. Franklin Autobiogr. (1981) 55 Keimer being in the Street look'd up & saw me, call'd out to me in a loud Voice and angry Tone to mind my Business, adding some reproachful Words, that nettled me the more for their Publicity.

1832 E. Bulwer-Lytton Eugene Aram I. i. viii. 138 Walter! your voice is reproachful!

a1865 E. C. Gaskell Wives & Daughters (1866) I. xxvi. 296 ‘It's Lady Harriet,’ said Mrs. Gibson..in reproachful dismay.

1900 L. F. Baum Wonderful Wizard of Oz xx The [china] milkmaid cast many reproachful glances over her shoulder at the clumsy Strangers, holding her nicked elbow close to her side.

1956 Amer. Lit. 28 305 She courageously outbraves her reproachful tormentor with a vow that she will not fear to face him before the Judgment Seat.

1992 World Press Rev. Feb. 56/1 In the past, if you were to say that you did not give a damn for unmarried mothers, the worst that could happen was a reproachful tut-tut.

1574 G. Scott Briefe Treat. Errors Romish Church sig. Avi ^v Accursed is the worke, Reprochefull vnto God.

1645 E. Pagitt Heresiogr. 106 That assertion is reproachfull to the wisedome of God.

a1678 W. Barton Psalms of David (1680) xv. 35 Such a man..That takes not up an evil fame reproachful to his neighbour's name.

1785 S. Trimmer Sacred Hist. xxxvii. 196 Caiaphas, with all the hypocritical appearances of pious indignation, rent his clothes (according to the Jewish custom when any thing was spoken reproachful to God).

1822 Methodist Mag. July 268 I was generally delirious, and was very fearful I should say something reproachful to the Gospel.

1860 J. L. Motley Hist. United Netherlands I. xviii. 405 I have always had such respect for her Majesty, being so noble a Queen, as that I would never hearken to anything that might be reproachful to her.

1976 H. F. Freniere et al. tr. Hitler Trial III. 19 The Witness answers to the effect that Ludendorff's words had not been reproachful to him.

1999 J. W. van Henten in W. Horbury Hebrew Study from Ezra to Ben-Yehuda i. iv. 63 Looking at the content of the mother's encouragement, one simply cannot say that her words were reproachful to the king.

1534 T. Elyot tr. G. Pico della Mirandola Rules Christian Lyfe in tr. St. Cyprian Mortalitie of Man sig. Eiv^v Thinke on him, who being very god almighty, for thy sake receiued the forme of a subiecte, and humbled hym selfe vnto the mooste vile and reprochefull deathe of the crosse.

1549 M. Coverdale et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. II. 1 Cor. i. f. v By the vyle, lowe and reprochefull crosse of Christe.

1549 M. Coverdale et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. II. 1 Cor. xi. f. xxxi Well maye she be coumpted reprochefull, yf she..shewe her owne unshamefastenesse.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene iii. i. sig. Bb6 Full of disdainefull wrath, he fierce vprose, For to reuenge that fowle reprochefull shame.

1606 L. Bryskett Disc. Ciuill Life 87 Esteeming more an honest and a glorious death then a naturall and reprochfull life.

1666 Bp. S. Parker Free Censvre Platonick Philos. (1667) 238 He yielded himself up to a most reproachful death.

1681 R. L'Estrange tr. Cicero Offices (ed. 2) 9 To be Ignorant, and to be deceived, we look upon as a wretched, and a reproachful thing.

1737 W. Whiston tr. Josephus Jewish War i. Pref., in tr. Josephus Genuine Wks. 691 It must be reproachful to write lies, when they must be known..to be such.

1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) I. Pref. 3 It would be reproachful for them to suffer this ignorance to continue.

1848 Friends' Rev. Sept. 827/2 Those who are but partially acquainted with Ecclesiastical History..need not be reminded of the bitter and bloody, and most reproachful persecutions by Catholics, Protestants, and Puritans, since the death of Henry VIII.

1892 Temple Bar May–Aug. 255 To wash dead men's dirty linen in public, is reproachful indeed!

1920 Hist. Coll. Danvers (Mass.) Hist. Soc. 8 4 For this most reproachful conduct, he was promptly fined.

2003 Birmingham Post (Nexis) 5 July 9 As a self-appointed guardian of her society's morals, she makes it her business to ensure that social trespassing remains highly reproachful and under no circumstances condoned.

1566 W. Painter Palace of Pleasure I. xlvi. f. 270 I couet not after any thing reprochfull to me or my children, or to any of our posteritie.

1584 T. Cogan Hauen of Health ccxli. 243 Inhærere libris, which neuer yet was reprochfull to a student.

1636 M. Wren Articles Diocese of Norwich vii. sig. B4^v Are there within your Parish or thereunto resorting, any players on Stage, or with Puppets, or any Musitians, Fidlers, Rimers, or Iesters,..which do publish any thing scandalous to the State, or reproachfull to the Holy Clergy?

1670 G. Havers tr. G. Leti Il Cardinalismo di Santa Chiesa iii. ii. 262 A subject indeed too scandalous and reproachfull to the whole Colledge.

1765 E. Burke Let. 18 May in Corr. (1958) I. 192 His conduct in publick affairs has been..very reproachful to himself, and extremely disgustful to me.

1789 D. Rittenhouse tr. G. E. Lessing Lucy Sampson v. iv. 76 You would have injured me most sensibly, if, from considerations so reproachful to me, you had denied the sympathy of your own blood.

1803 Times 30 Apr. 1/3 Those connivances which..were so numerous a few years since, and so reproachful to the morals and character of the country.

1863 N. Amer. Rev. July 102 Such a picture of..ignorance, cruelty, and general degradation... Nothing so reproachful to our humanity is to be found on all God's earth.

1883 Times 9 Mar. 12/1 Mr. Sellar arrays the figures as peculiarly reproachful to the present system.

1911 Jrnl. Abnormal Psychol. 6 32 The idea of faking amnesia presented itself to him through a leading question put by the examining physicians—a fact in no way reproachful to them.

1591 H. Savile tr. Tacitus Ende of Nero: Fower Bks. Hist. ii. 104 Thither resorted also of the baser sort certaine well knowen to Vitellius..with which kinde of reprochfull acquaintance he was delited wonderfully.

1655 tr. C. Sorel Comical Hist. Francion xii. 38 Hortensius..advised him to take heed how he adventured again to see for Forrage in such reproachfull places.