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.

Within DHS, Noem and Lewandowski frequently berate senior level staff, give polygraph tests to employees they don’t trust and have fired employees—in one incident, Lewandowski fired a U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

If you berate yourself for what you deem parenting mistakes, don’t let it eat away at you.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

Arnaud de Borchgrave, the former editor of the Washington Times and the first host of CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” had me on the first broadcast to berate me.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2024

Before he can mentally berate himself for doing something so silly, the fortune-teller smiles, though for a moment there is something almost sad beneath it.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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