berate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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beratesimple
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beratessimple
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have beratedperfect
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has beratedperfect
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am beratingprogressive
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are beratingprogressive
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is beratingprogressive
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have been beratingperfect progressive
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has been beratingperfect progressive
Past
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beratedsimple
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had beratedperfect
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was beratingprogressive
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were beratingprogressive
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had been beratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of berate
Explanation
A strong verb for harshly cutting someone down with words is berate. "He didn't just correct the cashier who gave him the wrong change — he started to berate her, calling her names in front of the whole store." When you berate someone, you do more than just raise your voice at them; berate implies putting someone down by insulting their character. This word comes from a 16th-century English and French root meaning "to scold or blame." Often the anger behind the scolding seems over-the-top, as in "When the young man behind the counter dropped the scoop of vanilla, the manager berated him excessively by declaring him worthless and weak."
Vocabulary lists containing berate
Instead of "Said": Vexed Verbiage to Express Anger
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Refugee
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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.
See Examples For:
Lanning still recalls that early during his brief stint, he stepped in to run a drill, only for Saban to berate him for teaching it incorrectly to the watching players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
If you berate yourself for what you deem parenting mistakes, don’t let it eat away at you.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 2, 2025
One of the world's most popular streamers, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, says trolls "berate" him every day because his number of viewers has fallen.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025
They’ve taught me that I don’t have to berate myself, hate myself, call myself names.
From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2024
Cathy was with Damien all weekend, and when I saw' her last night, I didn’t give her a chance to berate me.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
The outspoken peer, who often berates legislation she sees as infringing civil liberties, says environmental concerns are clearly trumping public health concerns.
From BBC ● May 23, 2025
In Season 1, Deborah berates her daughter about her lack of a prenup in a very public birthday dinner speech, but then reluctantly attends her drive-thru wedding via FaceTime.
From Salon ● May 16, 2025
I like it when Bill Plaschke berates himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2024
I have a co-worker whom I adore, but every holiday she berates me for not getting in the spirit: not wearing a Halloween costume, etc.
From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2023
Lourdes berates herself for not dating an American who asked her out long ago.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Pelley accused CBS News Editor in Chief Bari Weiss of “murdering” the program and berated Bilton, a former New York Times journalist, for lacking TV news experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has openly berated reporters during Pentagon briefings for using headlines the administration dislikes.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 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
A man dressed as Batman berated officials in the California city set to host the Super Bowl next month over claims they could let ICE officers patrol the NFL championship game.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
He left his pleasure palace and publicly berated Atawallpa at the front.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Top of Wooden’s list was an insistence that Close could succeed without berating players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 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
The Australian skipper removed him for a 13th time in Tests, more than any other bowler, with a furious Root berating himself after prodding at a full delivery and feathering to Carey.
From Barron's ● Dec. 20, 2025
Video footage shows Rivas and others berating the officers for complicity in what they called a “kidnapping.”
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2025
Tears were running down her face, she was already berating God for taking her husband from her, but on the other side of these proper emotions was an altogether improper relief.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
