Synonyms

berated

American

[bih-rey-tid] / bɪˈreɪ tɪd /

adjective

scolded or rebuked; criticized.

I get to my workplace all summer long using the city’s much berated public transportation system.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of criticize.

Etymology

Origin of berated

berate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

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 • Mar. 23, 2026

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 • Mar. 9, 2026

Under cross examination, however, Kaley talked about feeling neglected, berated and picked on by family members, causing depression and anxiety that had nothing to do with social media.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Noem routinely berated staff if she saw Homan on TV and kept track of both their appearances to make sure she was on TV more than him, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

He berated the ANC for failing to disclose the location of arms caches and then rebuked us for maintaining a “private army,” Umkhonto we Sizwe, in violation of the National Peace Accord of September 1991.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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