# rebuke

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɹiˈbjuːk/ · frequency rank #25,546

## Definitions
1. A harsh criticism.

## Etymology
From Middle English rebuken, from Anglo-Norman rebuker (“to beat back, repel”), from re- + Old French *buker, buchier, buschier (“to strike, hack down, chop”), from busche (“wood”), from Vulgar Latin *busca (“wood, grove”), from Frankish *busk (“grove”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush”); equivalent to re- + bush.

## Easily confused with
- **reuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-reuse)
- **revue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-revue)
- **rebut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-rebut)
- **reduce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-reduce)
- **refuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-refuse)
- **refuge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-refuge)
- **remake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-remake)
- **retake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-retake)
- **revoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-revoke)
- **refute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-refute)
- **résumé** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-resume)
- **repute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebuke-vs-repute)
- **rebate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rebate-vs-rebuke)

## Common misspellings (8)
`erbuke`, `rbeuke`, `rebbuke`, `rebkue`, `rebuek`, `rebukke`, `reubke`, `rrebuke`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rebuke