berate
verb /bɪˈreɪt/
/bɪˈreɪt/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they berate | /bɪˈreɪt/ /bɪˈreɪt/ |
| he / she / it berates | /bɪˈreɪts/ /bɪˈreɪts/ |
| past simple berated | /bɪˈreɪtɪd/ /bɪˈreɪtɪd/ |
| past participle berated | /bɪˈreɪtɪd/ /bɪˈreɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form berating | /bɪˈreɪtɪŋ/ /bɪˈreɪtɪŋ/ |
- berate somebody/yourself to criticize or speak angrily to somebody because you do not approve of something they have done
- She berated herself for being a bad mother.
- The minister was berated by angry demonstrators as he left the meeting.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from be- ‘thoroughly’ + rate ‘to scold someone angrily’.