BERATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does berate mean? 

• BERATE (verb)
  The verb BERATE has 1 sense:

1. censure severely or angrily

  Familiarity information: BERATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BERATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they berate    ... he / she / it berates   
Past simple: berated   
Past participle: berated   
-ing form: berating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Censure severely or angrily

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup

Hypernyms (to "berate" is one way to...):

criticise; criticize; knock; pick apart (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "berate"):

castigate; chasten; chastise; correct; objurgate (censure severely)

brush down; tell off (reprimand)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot berate Sue