Berates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To criticize someone harshly and openly, often with the intent to reprimand while expressing discontent at their behavior
2. To scold someone in a forceful manner, delivering strong disapproval typically in front of others to make a point
3. Expresses strong disapproval towards someone by speaking angrily about their actions

Etymology: "Berates" is the third-person singular form of "berate," which is "be-" plus "rate" in the sense of "to scold or upbraid." The prefix "be-" is an Old English element that intensifies or completes an action, and it appears in older verbs such as "bewail" and "bespeak." On its own, "rate" meant to chide or scold, a sense that has since faded from ordinary use, so the compound amounts to a thorough, emphatic scolding. The "rate" here is not the one meaning a measure of speed or a price. It is a separate, older verb related to the idea of blaming someone harshly, and it survives mainly in "berate." Readers who know "rate" only as a number or a value may be surprised that it once carried a sense of reproach.

Synonyms: scolds, rebukes, reprimands, criticizes, chastises

Antonyms: praises, compliments, endorses