What it means
An earful is a proper telling-off that goes on and on. Someone's annoyed, disappointed, or fully fed up, and they're unloading it all at you while you just stand there and take it. You usually hear it in get an earful or give someone an earful.
Usage examples
"I was ten minutes late and my manager gave me an earful in the hallway, then acted like nothing happened five minutes later."
"I got a right earful from the neighbour for parking two inches over her invisible line again."
"Give him an earful if you must, but he genuinely didn’t know the meeting had moved."
"I forgot to take the bins out again and got an earful from Mum before I'd even had my tea."
"Turn up two hours late if you want, but don't act shocked when the coach gives you an earful."
Where it comes from
Just what it sounds like, an ear filled to the brim, only with a torrent of telling-off rather than music. Getting an earful is having someone pour a long, sharp complaint straight into your ear until it is full to overflowing.
