reprimand severely, rebuke, admonish, chastise, chide, upbraid, reprove, reproach, scold, remonstrate with, berate, take to task, pull up, castigate, lambaste, read someone the Riot Act, give someone a piece of one's mind, haul over the coals, lecture, criticize, censure

informal tell off, give someone a talking-to, give someone a telling-off, dress down, give someone a dressing-down, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, give someone a rocket, give someone a rollicking, rap, rap over the knuckles, slap someone's wrist, send someone away with a flea in their ear, let someone have it, bawl out, come down hard on, blow up, pitch into, lay into, lace into, give someone a caning, blast, rag, keelhaul

British informal tick off, have a go at, carpet, give someone a mouthful, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for, give someone some stick, wig, give someone a wigging

North American informal chew out, ream out

Australian informal monster

British vulgar slang bollock, give someone a bollocking

North American vulgar slang chew someone's ass, ream someone's ass

dated call down, rate, give someone a rating, trim

rare reprehend, objurgate

harass, hound, plague, badger, harry, pester, bother, worry, annoy, trouble, bully, intimidate, pick on, bait, molest, bedevil, victimize, terrorize;

North American devil

informal hassle, give someone a hard time, get on someone's back, make it/things hot for someone

Australian informal heavy