berate
verb/bɪˈɹeɪt/
Etymology From be- + rate (“to scold, upbraid”).
1
To chide or scold vehemently.
- What society tells people that they can “do whatever they want” to dissidents, and yet berates anyone for treating them well?
- Gabord, still muttering, turned to us again, and began to berate the soldiers for their laziness.1896, Gilbert Parker, chapter 13, in Seats Of The Mighty:
4 more examples
- A thousand times I berated myself for being drawn into such a trap as I might have known these pits easily could be.1913 January–May, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Gods of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 21, in The Gods of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., September 1918, →OCLC, pages 327–328:
- Lenerengo, as usual, forgot everything else in the fiercer pleasure of berating her spouse.1917, Jack London, chapter 14, in Jerry of the Islands:
- During the rally, he berates the crowd for their cowardice.2008 November 27, Alex Perry, “The Man Who Would Be (Congo's) King”, in Time:
- France were supposedly a team in pieces, beaten by Tonga just a week ago and with coach Marc Lievremont publicly berating his players, but so clear-cut was their victory that much of the atmosphere had been sucked from the contest long before the end.2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France:
- Derived terms
- beratement, beratingly
- Related terms
- beration