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
Growing up in an Irish immigrant family, Dolan was frequently beaten by his mother who consistently mocked and berated him.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Trump has repeatedly berated Powell for not bringing the Fed's benchmark down, and has argued that rates should be sharply lower.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Trump has repeatedly berated Powell for not bringing the Fed's benchmark down, and has argued that rates should be sharply lower.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berated
Verb
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Rogers scolded Musk on Tuesday morning for his recent social media posts about the trial and threatened a gag order before the jury arrived in the courtroom.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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So far, to Trump’s dismay, the plaintiff has won some victories; a federal judge repeatedly scolded government lawyers and halted work.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For years, states such as New York and California have been run by politicians who seem to believe prosperity is permanent — an endless resource to be taxed a little more, regulated a little harder and lectured a little longer.—
Larry Clifton,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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Ratmoko is also a photographer, writer, and scholar who has lectured on intercultural communication schools including Yale University and the University of Zurich.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israeli leaders later disavowed the incident and said he would be reprimanded.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The report noted that Tracey repeatedly removed his mask, something nurses interpreted in the report as noncompliance, and reprimanded him.—
Nichole Manna,
ProPublica,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mira cried, when Andy criticized Nate for being unsupportive.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The Florida black bear, one of 16 subspecies of the American black bear, is often lauded as a Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission success story, though the agency was sharply criticized for staging a hunt of the state’s largest land mammal last year.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berated. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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