BERATES Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

berates

verb

present tense third-person singular of berate

as in scolds

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of berates But the real anger belongs to the narrator herself, who berates herself for bringing a succession of troubled men into her son’s life. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 July 2026 And Vance berates Democrats in a visit to Minneapolis. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026 Cast members performed on The Tonight Show and in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, in a sketch in which host Bad Bunny berates his friends for failing to grasp the movie’s brilliance. — Eliza Berman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025 Flies buzz around my ears; a distant dog berates a passing motorbike. — Hannah Foster-Roe, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Nov. 2025 The president publicly berates reporters — often female ones — for cheap laughs several times a week, and is met with little more than shrugs. — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Oct. 2025 In another clip, his mother berates Pormanove over the phone for letting the co-streamers shave off parts of his hair. — Philippe Cordier, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for berates

Verb

Some intergenerational sparring ensues, as Kevin scolds Arthur for his more outré boomer comments, and Arthur in turn sneers at his grandson’s millennial lameness.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of scolds

Verb

Beatty’s filing also criticizes the tarps that have covered the venue’s front portico for more than two months.

— Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Lebanese leader criticizes Israel Saturday’s strikes are the deadliest since the truce went into effect two months ago.

— Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticizes

Verb

Robert Pozen, who lectures at MIT Sloan School of Management and was formerly president of Fidelity Investments, has an answer to the obvious question about who inspects this.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Khimasia is an independent curator who currently lectures at Rutgers University.

— News Desk, Artforum, 27 July 2026

Definition of lectures

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“Berates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berates. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of berates

verb

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