lambaste
/læmˈbeɪst/verb
lambaste is spelled L-A-M-B-A-S-T-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 22 million words in written English, the 141,699th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, lambaste means “To scold, reprimand or criticize harshly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in lambaste?
| Letters | 8: L-A-M-B-A-S-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 22 million words; the 141,699th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is lambaste?
Lambaste appears about once in every 22 million words in written English, the 141,699th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce lambaste?
- US /læmˈbeɪst/
- US /læmˈbæst/
Lambaste has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-lambaste.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with lambaste?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as lambaste from its last stressed vowel (/eɪst/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: blastema.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of lambaste
- lambastes present, singular, he/she/it
- lambasting participle, present
- lambasted participle, past
- lambast UK
- lamblast US
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lambaste mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To scold, reprimand or criticize harshly.
The sergeant lambasted the new recruits daily.
- 2
datedTo give a thrashing to; to beat severely.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lambaste in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | blamer, reprimander, gronder , tabasser, rouer de coups, battre quelqu'un |
| German | beschimpfen, zurechtweisen, schelten, ermahnen, angreifen, attackieren |
| Spanish | reprender, vituperar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does lambaste come from?
First attested in 1637. Probably lam (“beat”) + baste (“beat”)
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).