rap (1) — OAT

rap1

verb

1 he stood up and rapped the table | she rapped his fingers with a ruler:

hit, strike, bang, thump, knock;

informal whack, thwack, bash, wallop;

literary smite.

2 I rapped on the open door of his office:

knock, tap;

bang, hammer, batter, pound.

3 informal banks are to be rapped for delaying interest rate cuts:

rebuke, reprimand, reproach, scold, admonish, reprove, remonstrate with, chastise, chide, upbraid, 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, 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, rap over the knuckles, slap someone's wrist, let someone have it, bawl out, give someone hell, come down on, blow up, pitch into, lay into, lace into, give someone a caning, slap down, blast, rag, keelhaul;

British, informal tick off, have a go at, carpet, monster, give someone a mouthful, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for, give someone a rollicking, wig, give someone a wigging, give someone a row, row;

North American, informal chew out, ream out;

British, vulgar slang bollock, give someone a bollocking, tear someone a new arsehole, rip someone a new arsehole;

North American, vulgar slang chew someone's ass, ream someone's ass, tear someone a new asshole, rip someone a new asshole;

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

rare reprehend, objurgate.

▷antonyms praise, compliment, commend.

noun

1 she gave her son a rap on the shoulder:

blow, hit, knock, bang, crack, thump;

informal whack, thwack, bash, wallop.

2 there was a rap at the door:

knock, knocking, tap, bang, banging, hammering, battering, pounding, rat-tat.

□ rap over the knucklesinformal

she will get a rap over the knuckles and be fined:

rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reproof, admonishment, admonition, reproval, remonstration, lecture, upbraiding, castigation, lambasting, criticism, censure;

informal telling-off, scolding, dressing-down, earful, roasting, bawling-out, caning, blast, row;

British, informal ticking off, carpeting, rollicking, wigging;

British, vulgar slang bollocking;

dated rating.

□ take the rap

informal

I don't want him to take the rap for something he didn't do:

be punished, be blamed, take the blame, pay, suffer, suffer the consequences, pay the price;

answer for something;

informal be for it;

British, informal carry the can.

▷antonyms get off scot-free.