To upbraid or scold; to reproach someone sharply (archaic).
From Old English abredan, with the prefix a- + braid (to reproach). The original root meant 'to pull' or 'tear,' which metaphorically became 'to tear into someone verbally' by medieval times.
Abreid is the ancestor of words meaning harsh criticism—the 'brad' or 'braid' root originally meant pulling or tearing, and calling someone out verbally was like verbally 'tearing into' them.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.