expostulate

English

Etymology

From Latin expostulō (“demand, claim”) +‎ -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, ex- +‎ postulate.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈpɒstjʊleɪt/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈpɑstjʊleɪt/
Audio (US): (file)

Verb

expostulate (third-person singular simple present expostulates, present participle expostulating, simple past and past participle expostulated)

(intransitive) To protest or remonstrate; to reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of conduct [(often) with with]. [from 16th c.]
- 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC:
  The tears would run plentifully down my face when I made these reflections; and sometimes I would expostulate with myself why Providence should thus completely ruin His creatures, and render them so absolutely miserable; so without help, abandoned, so entirely depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for such a life.
- 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “XI, "The Abbot’s Ways"”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):
  […] he affectionately loved many persons to whom he never or hardly ever shewed a countenance of love. Once on my venturing to expostulate with him on the subject, he reminded me of Solomon: “Many sons I have; it is not fit that I should smile on them.”
- 1881, Benjamin Jowett, Thucydides:
  Men expostulate with erring friends; they bring accusations against enemies who have done them a wrong.
- 1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC:
  “Don’t ye be nervous, my dear good soul,” expostulated, between his coughs, a young man with a wet face and his straw hat so far back upon his head that the brim encircled it like the nimbus of a saint.

Synonyms

challenge, demur, except, inveigh, kick, object, protest, remonstrate, squawk

Derived terms

Translations

to protest

Greek: διαμαρτύρομαι (el) (diamartýromai), επιτιμώ (el) (epitimó)
Māori: whakatāmaramara
Russian: усовещивать (ru) impf (usóveščivat’)
Spanish: expostular

Latin

Verb

expostulāte

second-person plural present active imperative of expostulō