berate

verb

be·rate bi-ˈrāt

bē-

berated; berating; berates

Synonyms of berate next

transitive verb

: to scold or condemn vehemently and at length

being berated by her parents when she came home late

Did you know?

Berate and Rate

People have berated things—and each other—for time immemorial, but the word berate has only been known to English users since the mid-1500s. Before that, if you wanted to angrily rebuke, say, an outlaw for impersonating a fortune teller in order to steal the golden hubcaps off your royal carriage, you would rate them. Berate simply added the prefix be- to the existing verb rate, which is distinct from the rate that means “to value or esteem.” While the more familiar rate comes ultimately from Latin, the origins of the less common “scolding” rate are obscure.

Choose the Right Synonym for berate

scold, upbraid, berate, rail, revile, vituperate mean to reproach angrily and abusively.

scold implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly.

angrily scolding the children

upbraid implies censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds.

upbraided her assistants for poor research

berate suggests prolonged and often abusive scolding.

berated continually by an overbearing boss

rail (at or against) stresses an unrestrained berating.

railed loudly at their insolence

revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred.

an alleged killer reviled in the press

vituperate suggests a violent reviling.

was vituperated for betraying his friends

Examples of berate in a Sentence

there's no need to berate someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The two shared a fascination for country music and right-wing politics, believing the best way to oppose conservatives is not to berate or ridicule but to respect and understand. —

Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024 Those critics have spent several years berating and doubting her—especially following her most notable setback, in 2021, when she was suspended from the Tokyo Olympics. —

Essence, 10 Dec. 2024 But among the thanks and praise, others berated Thompson for calling himself a single dad. —

Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 At age 12, she was called before her parents, who berated her. —

Kang-Chun Cheng, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for berate