Synonyms

berate

American

[bih-reyt] / bɪˈreɪt /

verb (used with object)

berated, berating

to scold; rebuke.

He berated them in public.

Synonyms:

vilify, objurgate, vituperate, abuse

berate British

/ bɪˈreɪt /

verb

(tr) to scold harshly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of berate

First recorded in 1540–50; be- + rate ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the pop singer said she did not send a security guard to berate them.

From Los Angeles Times

Brittin has faced scrutiny in the past, particularly over Google's tax affairs in 2016 when he was berated by members of the Public Accounts Committee.

From BBC

Porter slightly rebounded after a dip in polling in the fall after videos emerged of her berating an aide and a reporter.

From Los Angeles Times

Conversations where I imagined all the loved ones of the boys, berating myself and becoming paralyzed with guilt and confusion.

From Literature

Back in January at the peak of the furore over Greenland, the Treasury Secretary openly berated Deutsche Bank’s George Saravelos after the currency strategist speculated that European institutions could dump $8 trillion of U.S.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023