berate

[bih-reyt]

berate Definition

to scold or criticize someone angrily and loudly.

Using berate: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "berate" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

  • Example

    She berated him for his laziness.

  • Example

    The coach berated the team for their poor performance.

  • Example

    He was berated by his boss for being late to work again.

berate Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for berate

Antonyms for berate

Phrases with berate

  • to criticize or scold oneself harshly

    Example

    After failing the exam, she berated herself for not studying harder.

  • to criticize or scold someone for a specific mistake or behavior

    Example

    The teacher berated the student for not completing the homework.

  • to force or pressure someone to do something by criticizing or scolding them

    Example

    The manager berated the employees into working overtime to finish the project.

Origins of berate

from Old French 'berater', meaning 'scold severely'

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Summary: berate in Brief

'Berate' [bih-reyt] is a verb that means to scold or criticize someone angrily and loudly. It can be used in various contexts, such as when a coach berates a team for poor performance or when a boss berates an employee for being late. The phrase 'berate oneself' refers to self-criticism, while 'berate someone for something' and 'berate someone into doing something' refer to criticizing someone for a specific mistake or behavior and pressuring them to do something, respectively.

How do native speakers use this expression?