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
Anyone standing near you has the right not to get screamed at, berated, or kicked in the nuts.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 6 Dec. 2025
Earlier in the month, a Thai pageant director berated Bosch during a pre-pageant meeting, triggering a mass walkout of contestants.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
Chicago mother Corshawnda Hatter and her children were recently followed, berated and physically beaten by a group of youngsters during what should have been an innocent walk home from school.
—Essence, 26 Nov. 2025
The Mexican model's victory came after a Miss Universe Organization executive berated her and a judge resigned from the pageant's panel.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
In it, Nawat Itsaragrisil - a Thai media personality and businessman who at that point was the pageant's director - stood in front of a room of begowned contestants, microphone in hand, and berated Bosch for not participating in some of its promotional activities.
—NPR, 21 Nov. 2025
Getting berated by your mother into writing a school admissions essay about her former cutting habit?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025
And as security rushed to eject the offender, other fans got there first, with further viral footage showing the offender being berated by other concert-goers.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
In an audio recording that The Charlotte Observer and other news outlets published soon after, McFadden berated his staff and called them untrustworthy.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 6 Dec. 2025
Earlier in the month, a Thai pageant director berated Bosch during a pre-pageant meeting, triggering a mass walkout of contestants.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
Chicago mother Corshawnda Hatter and her children were recently followed, berated and physically beaten by a group of youngsters during what should have been an innocent walk home from school.
—Essence, 26 Nov. 2025
The Mexican model's victory came after a Miss Universe Organization executive berated her and a judge resigned from the pageant's panel.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
In it, Nawat Itsaragrisil - a Thai media personality and businessman who at that point was the pageant's director - stood in front of a room of begowned contestants, microphone in hand, and berated Bosch for not participating in some of its promotional activities.
—NPR, 21 Nov. 2025
Getting berated by your mother into writing a school admissions essay about her former cutting habit?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025
And as security rushed to eject the offender, other fans got there first, with further viral footage showing the offender being berated by other concert-goers.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
In an audio recording that The Charlotte Observer and other news outlets published soon after, McFadden berated his staff and called them untrustworthy.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berated
Verb
-
Students sat in rows, making faces at each other, scolded by their teachers to behave.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders scolded the media on Sunday after the team’s close loss to the Buffalo Bills at home.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But this season’s 49ers team was lectured from the start to back off on the Super Bowl talk after last year’s 6-11 debacle and instead work on simply becoming a good team that gets better every week.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
23 Dec. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Cheen also lectured on the music industry across Asia and Australia.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Performers have been reprimanded for making racist, sexist and homophobic jokes during shows in the late 1990s and 2000s, according to Westword, and Stock Show officials were quick to apologize.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Shatzman said her group’s complaint is the first time a federal judge has been accused of mistreating staff after being reprimanded following an earlier accusation.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Officials originally proposed upgrading the city’s largest cricket stadium, The Gabba, to accommodate the Games, though the project’s price tag was heavily criticized.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
-
A number of head coaches leading teams at AFCON 2025 in Morocco have criticized the changes to the tournament’s schedule, arguing that AFCON’s current two-year cycle is ideal for the development of African football and related infrastructure.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berated. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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