Medieval · insult · noun (also verb)
Scold
SKOHLD /skoʊld/ (US), /skəʊld/ (UK)pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recordedmid-1100s
In the 1100s a scold was a person of ribald, abusive speech; by about 1300, someone fond of chiding and abusive language, especially a quarrelsome woman. English law even had the offence of being a 'common scold'. Probably from Old Norse 'skald', poet — Norse poets were feared for mocking verse.
Where it was first recorded
Dated by Etymonline (mid-12c., 'person of ribald speech'), which does not name the work.
Also spelled: scald
In its own time
I know she is an irksome brawling scold;
Today
Modern exampleMy grandfather was a cheerful man at home but a proper scold behind the wheel.
Usable, with care — as a noun for a nagging person of any gender it is fine; avoid the old woman-only sense.
Historically gendered: the legal 'common scold' was applied mostly to women (though men could also be prosecuted as scolds) and was punished by public humiliation, e.g. ducking.
Questions
What does scold mean?
In the 1100s a scold was a person of ribald, abusive speech; by about 1300, someone fond of chiding and abusive language, especially a quarrelsome woman. English law even had the offence of being a 'common scold'. Probably from Old Norse 'skald', poet — Norse poets were feared for mocking verse.
When was scold first used?
It is first recorded mid-1100s.
Can you still use scold today?
Usable, with care — as a noun for a nagging person of any gender it is fine; avoid the old woman-only sense.
Sources
- scold — Etymonline (Online Etymology Dictionary)
- scold — Merriam-Webster
- scold — Wiktionary
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (The Taming of the Shrew) — Project Gutenberg
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above