Standard Lemma guide

berate

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /bɪˈɹeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 R EY1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To chide or scold vehemently.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • What society tells people that they can “do whatever they want” to dissidents, and yet berates anyone for treating them well?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

censure severely or angrily

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car
  • The deputy ragged the Prime Minister
  • The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: call on the carpet, take to task, rebuke, rag, trounce, reproof, lecture, reprimand, jaw, dress down, call down, scold, chide, bawl out, remonstrate, chew out, chew up, have words, lambaste, lambast

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: knock, criticize, criticise, pick apart

Narrower terms: chastise, castigate, objurgate, chasten, correct, tell off, brush down

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h1épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h1epider. Proto-Indo-European *h1pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Old English be- Middle English bi- English be- English rate English berate From be- + rate (“to scold, upbraid”).

Across languages

Translations

72 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: سَبَّ (sabba) — chide vehemently
  • Arabic: شَاتَمَ (šātama) — chide vehemently
  • Arabic: شَتَمَ (šatama) — chide vehemently
  • Arabic: لَحَا (laḥā) — chide vehemently
  • Bulgarian: руга́я (rugája) — chide vehemently
  • Chinese Mandarin: 痛罵 /痛骂 (tòngmà) — chide vehemently
  • Czech: vynadat — chide vehemently
  • Czech: vyhubovat — chide vehemently
  • Czech: hubovat — chide vehemently
  • Czech: spílat — chide vehemently
  • Danish: overfuse — chide vehemently
  • Finnish: nuhdella — chide vehemently
  • Finnish: läksyttää — chide vehemently
  • Finnish: sättiä — chide vehemently
  • French: réprimander — chide vehemently
  • French: admonester — chide vehemently
  • French: fustiger — chide vehemently
  • French: reprendre — chide vehemently
  • French: blâmer — chide vehemently
  • French: vilipender — chide vehemently
  • French: critiquer — chide vehemently
  • German: ausschelten — chide vehemently
  • German: ausschimpfen — chide vehemently
  • German: beschimpfen — chide vehemently
  • German: schelten — chide vehemently
  • Hungarian: szid — chide vehemently
  • Hungarian: megszid — chide vehemently
  • Hungarian: lehord — chide vehemently
  • Hungarian: korhol — chide vehemently
  • Italian: riprendere — chide vehemently
  • Italian: ammonire — chide vehemently
  • Italian: rimproverare — chide vehemently
  • Italian: sgridare — chide vehemently
  • Italian: richiamare — chide vehemently
  • Italian: redarguire — chide vehemently
  • Japanese: 難詰する (nankitsu-suru) — chide vehemently
  • Japanese: しかる (shikaru) — chide vehemently
  • Japanese: 痛罵する (tsūba-suru) — chide vehemently
  • Japanese: ガミガミ叱る (gamigami shikaru) — chide vehemently
  • Latgalian: braneit — chide vehemently
  • Latgalian: lomuot — chide vehemently
  • Latgalian: luodēt — chide vehemently
  • Latgalian: luot — chide vehemently
  • Latgalian: sveņtēt — chide vehemently
  • Latvian: bārt — chide vehemently
  • Latvian: lamāt — chide vehemently
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rakke ned på — chide vehemently
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skjelle ut — chide vehemently
  • Portuguese: repreender — chide vehemently
  • Portuguese: admoestar — chide vehemently
  • Quechua: anyay — chide vehemently
  • Romanian: admonestare — chide vehemently
  • Romanian: certare — chide vehemently
  • Romanian: ocărî — chide vehemently
  • Romanian: admonesta — chide vehemently
  • Russian: руга́ть (rugátʹ) — chide vehemently
  • Russian: брани́ть (branítʹ) — chide vehemently
  • Russian: поноси́ть (ponosítʹ) — chide vehemently
  • Serbo-Croatian: ukoriti — chide vehemently
  • Serbo-Croatian: izgrditi — chide vehemently
  • Spanish: reprender — chide vehemently
  • Spanish: vituperar — chide vehemently
  • Spanish: reprehender — chide vehemently
  • Spanish: amonestar — chide vehemently
  • Spanish: reñir — chide vehemently
  • Turkish: azarlamak — chide vehemently
  • Turkish: fırça atmak — chide vehemently
  • Turkish: haşlamak — chide vehemently
  • Turkish: paylamak — chide vehemently
  • Ukrainian: ла́яти (lájaty) — chide vehemently
  • Ukrainian: гани́ти (hanýty) — chide vehemently
  • Ukrainian: свари́ти (svarýty) — chide vehemently