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
Before the House Judiciary Committee in February, Bondi berated Democratic lawmakers who asked her questions about the handling of the Epstein files and other matters.
—
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
The nod referred to the iconic scene from the original film in which Priestley berated her new assistant Sachs for wearing a cerulean blue sweater without knowing the history behind the item.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
In July 2025, media personality Akademiks berated TDE during one of his livestream rants for allegedly using bots to boost Doechii’s streaming numbers.
—Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit also said that when complaints were made about the harassment, they were not properly investigated and the employees were subject to retaliation, including being given double shifts, being accused of wrongdoing and being berated and yelled at by supervisors.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Some have cut off communication, walked away from him, or berated him.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
He was confronted and berated by Penelope, to whom Eurymachus then falsely gave his word that Telemachus would not be harmed.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
The nod referred to the iconic scene from the original film in which Priestley berated her new assistant Sachs for wearing a cerulean blue sweater without knowing the history behind the item.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
In July 2025, media personality Akademiks berated TDE during one of his livestream rants for allegedly using bots to boost Doechii’s streaming numbers.
—Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit also said that when complaints were made about the harassment, they were not properly investigated and the employees were subject to retaliation, including being given double shifts, being accused of wrongdoing and being berated and yelled at by supervisors.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Some have cut off communication, walked away from him, or berated him.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
He was confronted and berated by Penelope, to whom Eurymachus then falsely gave his word that Telemachus would not be harmed.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berated
Verb
-
The former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian once scolded Americans for failing to realize that his people are prideful and vain, and that negotiations meant to humiliate and insult them won’t get far.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
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But the stunt goes south as Wooley turns out to be an unabashed bigot who embarrasses the show and gets scolded by the host.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tyson Eckert, the fourteen-year-old, lectured about character, competence, confidence, capability, credibility, competitiveness, and courage.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Joanna Fabicon, who has lectured on contemporary children’s literature at UCLA, added that educators, librarians and publishers must all grapple with the allegations against Chávez and decide how to move forward.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the University of Connecticut is to retain any respect, Coach Auriemma should be publicly reprimanded and suspended without pay.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
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The lawsuit alleges that district officials later accused Cormier of violating confidentiality rules by providing law enforcement with documents and reprimanded her.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Benjamin Rush, a Founding Father and a physician, criticized the medical establishment for being closed-minded about treatments recommended by non-physicians.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Glendon Hall, who leads the Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory Committee, criticized the police at the time.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berated. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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