Synonyms

berating

American

[bih-rey-ting] / bɪˈreɪ tɪŋ /

noun

the act or habit of scolding, rebuking, or harshly criticizing another.

The player earned a red card for his constant berating of the referee.

adjective

scolding, rebuking, or harshly criticizing.

When you talk to him about these behavioral issues, take care not to use a berating tone.

Etymology

Origin of berating

First recorded in 1830–40; berat(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; berat(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

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.

Top of Wooden’s list was an insistence that Close could succeed without berating players.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Then as now, Martin chose a polite but firm approach to Trump, who spent much of the question-and-answer session berating US allies for rebuffing his calls to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Despite Egadze scoring only 154.79 for the free skate - 27 points lower than his season best - there was no berating.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

There is romance, drama, pathos and the verbal berating of hotel staff and music video directors.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

Then she went over to the couch and woke him up and started berating him for nearly burning the house down.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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