Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

read someone the riot act

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.04 in modern English

Syllables: read- -some-one the ri-ot act
IPA

29

Scrabble Score

21

Letters

5

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.

verb

To give a formal warning for a riotous assembly to disperse, usually through reading a section of the Riot Act.

British usage; Archaic

Example Sentences

"She really read him the riot act about his smoking habit."
"But Will insisted mildly that it was a rough way to treat friends; whereupon Satanta read the riot act to his high-spirited young men, and bade them return the captured weapons to the scout."
"March mellowed into April. May read a gorgeous riot act to the parks and waters of Manhattan, and they were very happy."
"He had Lyle on the carpet. He had summarily called him down to his office to read him the riot act."
"‘Nothing but vigorous measures will do in these times, Grummer,’ said the magistrate, in a determined manner. ‘If the authority of the king’s officers is set at naught, we must have the riot act read. If the civil power cannot protect these windows, Grummer, the military must protect the civil power, and the windows too."
"The Riot Act was read with the rapidity with which grace is sometimes said at the head of a public table—a ceremony of which none but the performer and his immediate friends are conscious."

Etymology

The Riot Act is a historical British Act of Parliament enacted in 1714, which stated that once a statutory warning was read out to rioters and they failed to disperse within one hour, then authorities may use any force to disperse them with impunity.

Usage

British usage
Archaic

Inflected Forms

reads someone the riot act (present, singular) reading someone the riot act (participle, present) read the riot act (alternative)

Phrases

lay down the law Riot Act

Frequently Paired Words

lay down the law Riot Act

Synonyms

admonish animadvert bash bawl out tilt cannonade slash lash blame scorch blast berate

Questions

What does read someone the riot act mean?: To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.
Where does read someone the riot act come from?: The Riot Act is a historical British Act of Parliament enacted in 1714, which stated that once a statutory warning was read out to rioters and they failed to disperse within one hour, then authorities may use any force to disperse them with impunity.

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