as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
there's no need to berate someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job
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Recent Examples of berated
Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings.
—
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
They were berated with demeaning and misogynistic names.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 20 Feb. 2026
Sylvia berated Lew all the way home to Weston.
—Allegra Goodman, Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
McPhatter berated the man and threw him against a patrol car twice, and when the man antagonized McPhatter from the back seat of his police cruiser, the cop reached back and grabbed the glasses off his face, prosecutors allege.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
O’Sullivan berated an on-site staff member while using more than a dozen expletives during a 47-second video of the incident.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
In 2008, towards the beginning of his presidency, Barack Obama frequently berated oil speculators for artificially inflating prices.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Davos delegates didn’t need to hear a political stump speech attacking the American president or be berated by a governor for also not beating up on him.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Milwaukee activists and residents berated Police Chief Jeffrey Norman for his trip to Israel for a six-day training session.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
They were berated with demeaning and misogynistic names.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 20 Feb. 2026
Sylvia berated Lew all the way home to Weston.
—Allegra Goodman, Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
McPhatter berated the man and threw him against a patrol car twice, and when the man antagonized McPhatter from the back seat of his police cruiser, the cop reached back and grabbed the glasses off his face, prosecutors allege.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
O’Sullivan berated an on-site staff member while using more than a dozen expletives during a 47-second video of the incident.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
In 2008, towards the beginning of his presidency, Barack Obama frequently berated oil speculators for artificially inflating prices.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Davos delegates didn’t need to hear a political stump speech attacking the American president or be berated by a governor for also not beating up on him.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Milwaukee activists and residents berated Police Chief Jeffrey Norman for his trip to Israel for a six-day training session.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berated
Verb
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In Zambrano’s case, Gee scolded the government over how the detention unfolded.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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He is being groomed, playing, testing boundaries and even being scolded which are all part of normal social learning for young macaques.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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My father founded private hospitals south of Johannesburg, and my mother lectured anatomy, presiding over dissections and preparing meat dishes at home with the same attentive care — removing sinew and fat with a dedicated set of kitchen scalpels.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
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Cluelessly, the Biden administration lectured Israel about its military response.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Last year, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly reprimanded and admonished Givens, citing conduct that included allowing a staff member to impersonate her during a 2021 bond hearing and taking action in cases after she had been recused.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Jonathan was even reprimanded more than once for his name-calling and demeaning attitude towards Ana.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized for attacks on neighboring countries, but hard-liners criticized that and said the war strategy would continue.—
Cara Anna,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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Army vehicles carrying the launchers and other equipment arrived past midnight in a highly secretive mission criticized by residents.—
Mari Yamaguchi,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berated. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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