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to berate

to berate

36 7.2
Scold someone angrily and severely
  • verb
  • /bɪˈreɪt/
translation icon : reprender
  • The foreman moves up the line, berating the workers, yelling at them to dig faster.
  • berate others
  • berate a man

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either.

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Examples

  • Compliment someone, make someone feel good, don't sit around and berate other people for the way that they look.

  • The teacher began to berate the students for talking during the exam.

  • You gotta berate me in front of everybody?

  • Way to berate me in front of the children.

  • You berated me in front of your friends.

  • Oh, just because you're on television, you think you can come down here and berate me.

  • Berated me for a good hour and a half this morning.

  • I grab him by the pits and haul him up so I can berate him face to face.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • In Nigeria, C.L. Temple, the governor's second in command, berated career officers for being out of touch with the locals.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Suddenly aware of his danger, Worf froze, berating himself for his lack of caution.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

to yell at
vsto berate
379 1.4

Shout in an angry voice at someone

is more severe and uses targeted angry criticism rather than just shouting
to lecture
vsto berate
89 4.6

To give someone a long serious talk that warns or scolds them about what they did

is more purely angry reproach rather than long instructive talk
to blast
vsto berate
  • Literature
61 5.3

To strongly criticize someone in public

is more directly aimed at a person with anger rather than public attack
to scold
vsto berate
55 2.2

Speak angrily to someone who has done something wrong

is angrier and more intense than that severe speech
to let him have it
vsto berate
  • Informal
44 8.1

To tell someone angrily that they did something wrong

is harsher and more sustained than this directed angry speech
to give someone hell
vsto berate
  • Informal
37 8.1

To scold someone very strongly for something they did

is similar but can be more focused on punishment than words alone
to chastise
vsto berate
  • Formal
33 7.6

To scold someone strongly for doing something wrong

is more emotionally angry and aimed to punish rather than correct
to reprimand
vsto berate
  • Formal
33 6.1

To tell someone they did something wrong, usually by a person in charge

is more emotional and angry than that formal disapproval
to rebuke
vsto berate
  • Formal
26 6.9

To tell someone firmly that you do not approve of their actions

is more openly angry and personal than that official censure
to revile
vsto berate
  • Offensive
23 8.2

To say angry, insulting things about someone or something

is more about formal severe disapproval than merely hostile insults
to chide
vsto berate
22 7.0

Tell someone you are unhappy with what they did

is much angrier and more severe than this mild disapproval
to take to task
vsto berate
18 6.3

To scold someone strongly for a mistake

is angrier and more emotionally charged than this fault-focused critique
to scorch
vsto berate
15 7.3

To severely criticize someone or something

is more focused on direct angry speech than broad denunciation
to castigate
vsto berate
  • Formal
14 8.8

To criticize or punish someone very harshly

is often more personal and bluntly angry than that public shaming
to tell off
vsto berate
  • Informal
13 4.2

To speak angrily to someone for doing something wrong

is more forceful and severe in anger than this informal speech
to chew out
vsto berate
  • Informal
13 7.0

Scold someone angrily in front of others

is harsher and more severe than this angry correction
to lambast
vsto berate
12 8.2

To criticize someone very strongly and angrily

is more focused on private angry correction than this public denunciation
to let someone have it
vsto berate
  • Informal
11 8.1

To angrily tell someone off

is often more planned and extended than this sudden attack
to excoriate
vsto berate
  • Literature
9 9.8

To criticize someone or something very harshly in public

is more privately furious and personally attacking than that public critique
to blister
vsto berate
9 8.1

To attack someone with very strong words

is more about sharp angry correction than a wounding verbal assault
to harangue
vsto berate
7 8.9

To speak angrily to someone for a long time

is briefer and more directly angry than that lengthy speech
to give someone the business
vsto berate
  • Informal
5 8.3

Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong

is often more purely furious personal attack rather than systematic criticism
to upbraid
vsto berate
  • Formal
3 8.8

To scold someone strongly for something they did wrong

is more angrily delivered and harsher than that severe talk
to call on the carpet
vsto berate
  • Archaic
3 7.9

To tell someone strongly that they have done something wrong, often in front of others

is more emotional and angrily personal than that formal censure
to dress down
vsto berate
  • Informal
3 6.3

To angrily tell someone they did something wrong

is more openly angry and intense than that strict correction
to tear someone a new one
vsto berate
  • Offensive
3 9.8

To scold someone very harshly

is equally severe but may avoid profane or extreme wording
to chew up
vsto berate
  • Informal
2 7.1

To scold someone angrily and severely

is similar but often with even greater fury
to tear (someone) a new one
vsto berate
  • Offensive
2 9.9

To scold someone angrily

is equally harsh but can be used more broadly not only personal attack
to give hell
vsto berate
  • Informal
1 8.1

To scold or punish someone angrily for something they did wrong

is equally severe but can be used purely as an angry talk
to give someone what for
vsto berate
  • Informal
1 8.7

Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong

is more emotionally intense and harsher than that angry talk
to lambaste
vsto berate
1 8.0

To criticize someone or something very strongly in public

is more personally angry and direct than that public attack
to call down
vsto berate
  • Informal
1 6.8

Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong

is harsher and more severe in anger than that sharp criticism
to objurgate
vsto berate
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To scold someone strongly for doing something wrong

is angrier and more emotionally violent than that stern censure
to bawl out
vsto berate
  • Informal
6.7

Shout loudly at someone because they did something wrong

is a very intense sustained angry attack beyond loud shouting
to vituperate
vsto berate
  • Offensive
9.9

To criticize someone angrily using harsh words

is angrier and more condemning than that abusive speech
to read to filth
vsto berate
  • Offensive
9.9

Strongly insult someone in front of others to embarrass them

is angrier and more about correction than broad personal insults
to throw brickbats
vsto berate
  • Literature
8.9

Attack someone with strong words in public

is more directly personal and angrily delivered than this public attack

Antonyms

342 1.6

A polite remark that praises someone or something

161 1.0

Words or actions that show admiration for someone

How Harsh

to lambaste
1 8.0
to berate
36 7.2
rebuke
22 6.8
to reprimand
  • Formal
33 6.1
to scold
55 2.2
to chide
22 7.0

Surface Forms

berate infinitive
berated past
berated past participle
berating present participle
berates third person singular

Morphology

berate = rate (semi-transparent) = be + rate

Formally be- + rate (to scold) is the structure, but many learners know 'rate' mainly as 'to evaluate' rather than 'to scold', and the prefix 'be-' is not semantically obvious.

Etymology

The word berate comes from the small word be- meaning 'make' and the old verb rate, which once meant 'to scold'. So berate literally means 'make' + 'to scold', which is why it means to criticize someone angrily and severely.