[syn: call on the carpet, take to task, rebuke, rag, trounce, reproof, lecture, reprimand, jaw, dress down, call down, scold, chide, berate, bawl out, remonstrate, chew out, chew up, have words, lambaste, lambast]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Remonstrate \Re*mon"strate\ (-str?t), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
   Remonstrated (-str?*t?d); p. pr. & vb. n. Remonstrating.]
   [LL. remonstratus, p. p. of remonstrare to remonstrate; L.
   pref. re- + monstrare to show. See Monster.]
   To point out; to show clearly; to make plain or manifest;
   hence, to prove; to demonstrate. [Obs.] --Jer. Taylor.
   [1913 Webster]
         I will remonstrate to you the third door. --B. Jonson.
   [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Remonstrate \Re*mon"strate\, v. i.
   To present and urge reasons in opposition to an act, measure,
   or any course of proceedings; to expostulate; as, to
   remonstrate with a person regarding his habits; to
   remonstrate against proposed taxation.
   [1913 Webster]
         It is proper business of a divine to state cases of
         conscience, and to remonstrate against any growing
         corruptions in practice, and especially in principles.
                                                  --Waterland.
   [1913 Webster]
   Syn: Expostulate, Remonstrate.
   Usage: These words are commonly interchangeable, the
          principal difference being that expostulate is now
          used especially to signify remonstrance by a superior
          or by one in authority. A son remonstrates against the
          harshness of a father; a father expostulates with his
          son on his waywardness. Subjects remonstrate with
          their rulers; sovereigns expostulate with the
          parliament or the people.
          [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
remonstrate
    v 1: argue in protest or opposition
    2: present and urge reasons in opposition [syn: remonstrate,
       point out]
    3: censure severely or angrily; "The mother scolded the child
       for entering a stranger's car"; "The deputy ragged the Prime
       Minister"; "The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing
       cold soup" [syn: call on the carpet, take to task,
       rebuke, rag, trounce, reproof, lecture,
       reprimand, jaw, dress down, call down, scold,
       chide, berate, bawl out, remonstrate, chew out,
       chew up, have words, lambaste, lambast]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
81 Moby Thesaurus words for "remonstrate":
   admonish, beef, bitch, boggle, boycott, call in question, caution,
   challenge, charge, combat, complain, complain loudly, confront,
   contend with, cry out against, daunt, demonstrate,
   demonstrate against, demur, dispute, dissent, dissuade, encourage,
   enjoin, enter a protest, except, exhort, expostulate, face down,
   face out, face up to, fight, frighten off, front, holler, howl,
   incite, induce, intimidate, inveigh against, issue a caveat, kick,
   kick against, kid out of, make a stand, march, meet head-on, move,
   object, offer resistance, oppose, persuade, picket, preach,
   press objections, prompt, protest, raise a howl, rally,
   recalcitrate, reluct, resist, revolt, scruple, show fight, sit in,
   squawk, stand, stand at bay, stand up against, stand up to,
   state a grievance, strike, strive against, talk out of, teach in,
   unpersuade, urge, warn, withstand, yell bloody murder