berate
20 synonyms for berate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To scold someone harshly and at length.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use berate
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
berate someone for
berate himself
publicly berated
Etymology
From be- (an intensifying prefix) plus rate, an old verb meaning "to scold" — so berate literally means to rate someone down hard.
Full origin of berate →Frequently asked questions
What does “berate” mean?
The word “berate” means to scold someone harshly and at length. In plain terms, to tell someone off angrily, usually going on about it rather than a quick word.
How do you pronounce “berate”?
“Berate” is pronounced bih-RAYT (/bɪˈɹeɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “berate” in a sentence?
Here is “berate” used in a sentence: “Her boss berated her in front of the whole team for the missed deadline.”
What part of speech is “berate”?
“Berate” is a verb.
