as in reprimand
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Peter White, Deadline, 4 May 2026
Trump’s berating of China earlier this year has also brought rewards to Xi domestically, too.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud's berating of a Christian minister who objected to street signs named after an Arab American leader is being called out by his electoral opponent.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
As the overbearing Barone family matriarch, Doris Roberts was the queen of laughs, doting on her sons, berating her two daughters-in-law and bickering with her husband.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Because Eatherly was known to openly carry a pistol while berating people, the combination could constitute assault, Raybin said.
—Travis Loller, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
And in New York, hundreds of teens flooded a mall in the Bronx in February, trashing stores and berating mall employees.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Porter, 52, said that voters should look at her record fighting corporate interests and forgive some of her past lapses, as when she was caught on video berating an aide.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The movie opens in 1966, when Michael was roughly 8 and his tyrannical father Joe, played by Colman Domingo, is beating and berating his five young sons to push them to stardom.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 26 Apr. 2026
Per the report, staff have threatened to quit or walk off the job due to Kaplan allegedly yelling and berating crew and staff members.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Last fall, Porter went viral for clashing with a journalist, and then days later, videos emerged of her berating staffers.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
She has also been credited with a more compassionate way of hosting a cooking show, rather than the berating that previously featured on many food shows.
—Peter White, Deadline, 4 May 2026
Trump’s berating of China earlier this year has also brought rewards to Xi domestically, too.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud's berating of a Christian minister who objected to street signs named after an Arab American leader is being called out by his electoral opponent.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
Just about the entire movie unfolds inside a beige Paris hotel suite, and then a fancy restaurant, where Philip Doom (Harrelson), who is some sort of wealthy blowhard, and his 32-year-old daughter, Madeleine (Stewart), are sitting around berating each other.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
As the overbearing Barone family matriarch, Doris Roberts was the queen of laughs, doting on her sons, berating her two daughters-in-law and bickering with her husband.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Because Eatherly was known to openly carry a pistol while berating people, the combination could constitute assault, Raybin said.
—Travis Loller, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
And in New York, hundreds of teens flooded a mall in the Bronx in February, trashing stores and berating mall employees.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Porter, 52, said that voters should look at her record fighting corporate interests and forgive some of her past lapses, as when she was caught on video berating an aide.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The movie opens in 1966, when Michael was roughly 8 and his tyrannical father Joe, played by Colman Domingo, is beating and berating his five young sons to push them to stardom.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 26 Apr. 2026
Per the report, staff have threatened to quit or walk off the job due to Kaplan allegedly yelling and berating crew and staff members.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Last fall, Porter went viral for clashing with a journalist, and then days later, videos emerged of her berating staffers.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berating
Noun
-
The reprimand from the committee, which stops short of a censure from the entire House, is a rare disciplinary action for a member.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
Clermont, who was elected in 2024, was not given the opportunity to speak during the reprimand.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bezos' belief in free-market principles was never clearer than in his rebuke of a growing narrative that billionaires' vast wealth can never be earned fairly.—
Kevin Breuninger,Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
-
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a rare rebuke to his national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, after videos emerged online showing Ben-Gvir's treatment of pro-Palestinian flotilla activists.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The cruel cartoon of a constantly shrewish, venal, and disloyal Mary began cementing itself in the public mind when William Herndon, Lincoln’s Springfield law partner, started lecturing about his reminiscences within months of the President’s murder.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
At Yale, where Garber began her career, Jacques Derrida was a frequent visitor, and Paul de Man might be found down the corridor solemnly lecturing on Nietzsche.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the critical lashing, the audience score has been propped up by faithful fans and is sitting at 96%.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If plants look deflated or heavily wilted after a wind lashing, this is a sign of water loss.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If something’s not done as far as reprimanding, what will that do to him as a student?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Hart was reprimanding Ross for doing what is the most offensive thing a comedian can do — suck up to the most important person in the room — and enforcing an old ethic in comedy, which is not apologizing for your jokes.—
Robert Lynch,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
-
Just months into Powell’s chairmanship in 2018, Trump started criticizing him and the central bank for not lowering rates.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
-
Schumer wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin earlier this month warning that new AI systems could dramatically accelerate cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, while criticizing the agency for its response thus far.—
Lauren Morganbesser,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berating. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
