Berated

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /bɪˈɹeɪtɪd/

Definitions

1. To subject an individual to severe criticism or rebuke in a public or intense manner
2. To express strong disapproval towards someone through loud and harsh reprimands, often in a public setting
3. To angrily scold or reprimand someone for their actions or behavior

Etymology: "Berate" is built from the prefix "be-" and the verb "rate," meaning "to scold or upbraid." The surprise lies in the second half: "rate" here has nothing to do with price, speed, or the rating of anything. It is the older sense of a loud, harsh reprimand, and "berate" intensifies it by adding the prefix, which in Old English gave verbs a sense of thoroughness or completeness, as in "bedaub" or "besmear." The prefix has an older root in the Old English "be," which traces back through Proto-Germanic to the same ancient base as the English word "by" and the Latin "ambi-" in "ambiguous" (though the link to Latin is distant). Over the centuries, the "be-" in "berate" came to be felt as a simple intensifier, so the word works like a scolding that is thorough from start to finish.

Synonyms: scolded, rebuked, reprimanded, criticized, chided

Antonyms: praised, complimented, commended, applauded, lauded