expostulate

• POS: Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: ex=pos=tu=late

CIDE DICTIONARY

expostulate, v. i. [L. expostulatus, p. p. of expostulare to demand vehemently; ex out + postulare to ask, require. See Postulate.].

 To reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of his conduct, representing the wrong he has done or intends, and urging him to make redress or to desist; to remonstrate; -- followed by with.  [1913 Webster]
"Men expostulate with erring friends; they bring accusations against enemies who have done them a wrong."

Syn. -- To remonstrate; reason. See Remonstrate.

expostulate, v. t. 

 To discuss; to examine.  [1913 Webster]
"To expostulate
What majesty should be, what duty is."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

expostulate, v.intr. (often foll. by with a person) make a protest; remonstrate earnestly.

Derivative

expostulation n. expostulatory adj.

Etymology

L expostulare expostulat- (as EX-(1), postulare demand)

THESAURUS

expostulate

admonish, argue, beef, bitch, boggle, boycott, call in question, caution, challenge, charge, combat, complain, cry out against, daunt, debate, demonstrate, demonstrate against, demur, discuss, dispute, dissuade, encourage, enjoin, enter a protest, except, exhort, fight, frighten off, holler, howl, incite, induce, intimidate, inveigh against, issue a caveat, kick, kid out of, march, move, object, oppose, persuade, picket, preach, press objections, prompt, protest, raise a howl, rally, remonstrate, resist, scruple, sit in, squawk, state a grievance, strike, talk out of, teach in, unpersuade, urge, warn, yell bloody murder

ROGET THESAURUS

expostulate

Dissuasion

VB dissuade, dehort, cry out against, remonstrate, expostulate, warn, contraindicate, disincline, indispose, shake, stagger, dispirit, discourage, dishearten, deter, repress, hold back, keep back, render averse, repel, turn aside, wean from, act as a drag, throw cold water on, damp, cool, chill, blunt, calm, quiet, quench, deprecate, disenchant, disillusion, deflate, take down a peg, pop one's balloon, prick one's balloon, burst one's bubble, disabuse (correction).

Advice

VB advise, counsel, give advice, give counsel, give a piece of advice, suggest, prompt, submonish, recommend, prescribe, advocate, exhort, enjoin, enforce, charge, instruct, call, call upon, dictate, expostulate, admonish, advise with, lay heads together, consult together, compare notes, hold a council, deliberate, be closeted with, confer, consult, refer to, call in, take advice, follow advice, be advised by, have at one's elbow, take one's cue from.

Deprecation

VB deprecate, protest, expostulate, enter a protest, intercede for, remonstrate.

Disapprobation

VB disapprove, dislike, lament, object to, take exception to, be scandalized at, think ill of, view with disfavor, view with dark eyes, view with jaundiced eyes, nil admirari, disvalue, improbate, frown upon, look grave, bend the brows, knit the brows, shake the head at, shrug the shoulders, turn up the nose, look askance, look black upon, look with an evil eye, make a wry face, make a wry mouth at, set one's face against, dispraise, discommend, disparage, deprecate, speak ill of, not speak well of, condemn, blame, lay blame upon, cast blame upon, censure, fronder, reproach, pass censure on, reprobate, impugn, remonstrate, expostulate, recriminate, reprehend, chide, admonish, berate, betongue, bring to account, call to account, call over the coals, rake over the coals, call to order, take to task, reprove, lecture, bring to book, read a lesson, read a lecture to, rebuke, correct, reprimand, chastise, castigate, lash, blow up, trounce, trim, laver la tete, overhaul, give it one, give it one finely, gibbet, accuse, impeach, denounce, hold up to reprobation, hold up to execration, expose, brand, gibbet, stigmatize, show up, pull up, take up, cry 'shame' upon, be outspoken, raise a hue and cry against, execrate, exprobate, speak daggers, vituperate, abuse, abuse like a pickpocket, scold, rate, objurgate, upbraid, fall foul of, jaw, rail, rail at, rail in good set terms, bark at, anathematize, call names, call by hard names, call by ugly names, avile, revile, vilify, vilipend, bespatter, backbite, clapperclaw, rave against, thunder against, fulminate against, load with reproaches, exclaim against, protest against, inveigh against, declaim against, cry out against, raise one's voice against, decry, cry down, run down, frown down, clamor, hiss, hoot, mob, ostracize, blacklist, draw up a round robin, sign a round robin, animadvert upon, reflect upon, glance at, cast reflection, cast reproach, cast a slur upon, insinuate, damn with faint praise, hint a fault and hesitate dislike, not to be able to say much for, scoff at, point at, twit, taunt, sneer at, satirize, lampoon, defame, depreciate, find fault with, criticize, cut up, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, take exception, cavil, peck at, nibble at, carp at, be censorious, pick holes, pick a hole, pick a hole in one's coat, make a fuss about, take down, take down a peg, set down, snub, snap one up, give a rap on the knuckles, throw a stone at, throw a stone in one's garden, have a fling, have a snap at, have words with, pluck a crow with, give one a wipe, give one a lick with the rough side of the tongue, incur blame, excite disapprobation, scandalize, shock, revolt, get a bad name, forfeit one's good opinion, be under a cloud, come under the ferule, bring a hornet's nest about one's ears, take blame, stand corrected, have to answer for.