as in scolding
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reprimand
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of berating
Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
Cut to Alex, desperately tending to her dwindling fire while berating God for letting her experience love, only to rip it away from her.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ex-husband has apologized for berating three Muslim women in Georgia days after a video of the incident went viral.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
After berating Beijing for its restrictions, Washington is putting up the same barriers.
—Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2025
Don’t compound your child’s guilt and discomfort by berating them for their scratching.
—Andy Collinson, Health, 19 Mar. 2025
But after a week of berating the national retailers, Berry Chantilly lovers forced Whole Foods to listen to their requests.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
The actor makes the most of the material served to him on a silver platter, like berating Bart for his history of domestic violence or hallucinating his way through an infected gunshot wound.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
Maron could be a reluctant subject, at times berating Feinartz off camera for relentlessly filming him over multiple years.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
After the report, an aide to Marte, Steven Wong, sent the journalist voice messages berating her with misogynistic slurs.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
Cut to Alex, desperately tending to her dwindling fire while berating God for letting her experience love, only to rip it away from her.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ex-husband has apologized for berating three Muslim women in Georgia days after a video of the incident went viral.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
After berating Beijing for its restrictions, Washington is putting up the same barriers.
—Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2025
Don’t compound your child’s guilt and discomfort by berating them for their scratching.
—Andy Collinson, Health, 19 Mar. 2025
But after a week of berating the national retailers, Berry Chantilly lovers forced Whole Foods to listen to their requests.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
The actor makes the most of the material served to him on a silver platter, like berating Bart for his history of domestic violence or hallucinating his way through an infected gunshot wound.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
Maron could be a reluctant subject, at times berating Feinartz off camera for relentlessly filming him over multiple years.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berating
Noun
-
Grossberg refused a settlement offer that included a $4,000 fine and public reprimand.—
Hannah Pinski,
The Courier-Journal,
9 July 2025
-
Violations of lawyers’ rules of professional responsibility often come with penalties ranging from reprimands to expulsion or debarment.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Rebuke for state prosecutors The state’s decision late Monday afternoon is a stinging rebuke for prosecutors in a high profile case that also includes the wealthy Alexander brothers and which has garnered international attention.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 July 2025
-
The vote last November was historic, offering a fierce rebuke of Republican state lawmakers who had spent decades restricting access.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
This isn’t a repeat of Hurricane Irma’s lashing at the concrete marker that led to a month-long closing in September and October 2017 so that the original artists Danny Acosta and Henry Del Valle could do emergency repairs and repaint the battered buoy.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
-
However, May argued that Trump’s recent public lashings out against Putin appear to be more lasting than those against Zelensky, signaling a wider shift in policy.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
While most have become accustomed and perhaps even oblivious to McGregor’s online rants, openly criticizing a business partner is a little dicey.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Shiney-Ajay said Harris should have spent additional time criticizing lawmakers—like Manchin and Congressional Republicans—who limited the administration's climate goals, using it as a chance to emphasize her intent to seek greater climate victories in the future.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
In the appeal to you, gentle readers, to email us with your thoughts, questions, reproofs, corrections, jokes, recipes, etc.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
9 May 2025
-
Advertisement China’s Foreign Ministry also issued a vehement reproof.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The Washington football franchise changed its name from the Washington Redskins to the Commanders after decades of criticism about its name and logo.—
Annabella Rosciglione,
The Washington Examiner,
20 July 2025
-
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese was one of many WNBA players who have expressed criticism of the league's handling of negotiations.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
After nights of clashes, then-President Donald Trump, known for issuing directives and invectives through social media, fired off a series of posts shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday, May 29, 2020.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
-
Douglas McCarthy, the vocalist who hectored anarchic invective with EBM innovators Nitzer Ebb and who joined Depeche Mode keyboardist Alan Wilder’s Recoil side project, died Wednesday at the age of 58.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky kicked off the proceedings in Rome as Moscow pounded Ukraine’s capital with another major missile and drone attack overnight in some of the heaviest attacks on Kyiv in the more than three-year war.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
-
The onslaught of attacks on transgender rights fueled Missouri lawmakers to enact a law in 2023 that banned gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgeries, for minors.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Berating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berating. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share