Women are berated—and berate themselves—for dressing too sexily.
The old-school way of hating rubes asks us to berate them into giving up their identity out of shame and disgust.
A purse can impress and intimidate, bewilder, berate, or amuse.
I'm not saying you should be an aggressive jerk, and berate your friends for thinking negative thoughts.
Rather than berate Mitt for the sin of being rich, he said he wanted a flatter tax so everyone could pay the “Romney rate.”
She had expected him to berate her for taking him for a spy and he had asked her to marry him.
Dyckman was a spent and bankrupt object, and anybody could berate him.
Even now, they had come forth upon the ramparts to berate her with her sin.
And then, without waiting for the answer, he turned to the shepherd and began to berate him.
One way to flatter some women is to berate those whom they despise or fear.
1540s, from be- "thoroughly" + Middle English rate "to scold" (late 14c.), from Old French reter "accuse, blame," from Latin reputare (see reputation). "Obsolete except in U.S." [OED 1st ed.], but it seems to have revived in Britain 20c. Related: Berated; berating.
