Scold and upbraid both refer to criticizing or reprimanding someone for something they’ve done that you disapprove of. Scold is the more everyday word, in terms of both frequency of use and the typical use cases: Children are scolded by parents and teachers. A grumpy shopper might scold a cashier for giving him the wrong change. Scolding is done in anger or irritation, but it’s not severe and can be done teasingly or good-naturedly. Upbraid is a more formal word and is used for a more severe telling off, appropriate for a more serious offense. It’s often modified by adverbs like sternly and indignantly. It also is more likely to be public and directed toward a group than scold, as with letters to the editor upbraiding city officials. However, being upbraided by one’s own conscience is not uncommon.

Varied and motley both describe something that exhibits variety or is made up of many different elements. The adjective varied generally has a positive connotation: a rich and varied career, a varied diet, people from varied backgrounds. Motley, on the other hand, suggests a rather odd assortment or collection of people or things that exhibit great, possibly incongruous variety: a motley assortment of vehicles in the parade; his followers were a motley bunch. By far the most familiar usage is motley crew. A motley crew might not instill confidence as a team that can work together, but as an action movie trope they usually prove everybody wrong.

Convince and sway refer to persuading a person to believe or do something. Convince, which shares a Latin root with “victor,” suggests using argument or evidence to win the assent of someone (Her recommendations convinced me she was right for the job). Sway suggests less definite means and ends. Someone has been swayed when their opinions or feelings shift or lean in the desired direction. Sometimes this is all that can be hoped for when trying to change public opinion—a frequent object of sway, as are juries, elections, and voters, especially undecided ones. Some common agents said to sway the masses are politicians, propaganda, and prejudice. But it can also be said that the presence of a laundry room can sway a couple to purchase a house. You never know what’s going to tip the scales.