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
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
Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
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
Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berated
Verb
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Leon scolded Justice Department attorneys for arguing that the entire project needed to go forward for national security reasons, before previously distinguishing between the bunker below ground and the ballroom above ground.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Government officials scolded young people for the signs of disrespect.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
14 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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Kudrow, who starred as the free-spirited Phoebe Buffay, said the writers reprimanded the cast for forgetting lines and spent their off-hours fantasizing about her female co-stars.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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Jimmy John’s was once reprimanded for making sandwich makers sign them.—
Morris M. Kleiner,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Though the value can be criticized, Love is immediately going to make Arizona’s offense exponentially better.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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After the hearing, John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, the union that represents Chicago police officers, harshly criticized the SAFE-T Act and the county’s criminal courts judges who repeatedly released Talley from custody in his prior crimes of violence.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Berated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berated. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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