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Give Someone an Earful

What Does "Give Someone an Earful" Mean?

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"Give someone an earful" is an English idiom. It means "to deliver a lengthy, often critical, or expressive lecture or scolding to someone."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "give someone an earful" used in a sentence:
  • He received an earful from his coach for not following the team's strategy during the game.
  • She decided to give her roommate an earful about the importance of cleaning up after themselves.
  • They were tired of giving their employees an earful about punctuality and wanted to see improvements.
meaning for give someone an earful

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Give Someone an Earful" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

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