Word of the Day

: August 3, 2021

berate

verb bih-RAYT

What It Means

: to scold or condemn vehemently and at length

berate in Context

"Don't berate yourself over canceling plans," the lifestyle expert said. "It is sometimes more important that you allow for time to take care of yourself."

"During Russell's tirade Wednesday, he didn't shout at any particular player, but his team as a whole. 'I would never single someone out and berate them,' Russell said." — Shaun Goodwin, The Kansas City Star, 17 June 2021

Did You Know?

Berate and rate can both mean "to rebuke angrily or violently." This sense of rate was first recorded in the 14th century, centuries before the familiar (and etymologically unrelated) rate meaning "to estimate the value of." We know that berate was probably formed by combining the prefix be- and the older rate, but the origins of this particular rate itself are somewhat more obscure.