berate
/bɪˈreɪt
/verb [with object]
Scold or criticize (someone) angrily: she berated herself for being fickle...
- She shrieks at her sons, who berate her for not supporting the father, she weeps bitterly, tries to calm them.
- At one point, she would be berating her colleagues and the next minute she would be laughing and smiling with them like it was business as usual.
- Besides, is berating your guest as has become the custom these days the only way to get information out of someone?
Synonyms
rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, admonish, remonstrate with, chastise, chide, upbraid, take to task, pull up, castigate, lambaste, read someone the Riot Act, give someone a piece of one's mind, go on at, haul over the coals, criticize, censure
informal tell off, give someone a talking-to, give someone a telling-off, dress down, give someone a dressing-down, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, give someone a rocket, give someone a rollicking, rap, rap over the knuckles, slap someone's wrist, let someone have it, send someone away with a flea in their ear, bawl out, give someone hell, come down on, blow up at, pitch into, lay into, lace into, tear into, give someone a caning, put on the mat, slap down, blast, rag, keelhaul
British informal tick off, have a go at, monster, carpet, give someone a carpeting, give someone a mouthful, tear someone off a strip, tear a strip off someone, give someone what for, give someone some stick, wig, give someone a wigging, give someone a row, row
North American informal chew out, ream out, take to the woodshed
British vulgar slang bollock, give someone a bollocking
North American vulgar slang chew someone's ass, ream someone's ass
dated call down, rate, give someone a rating, trim
rare reprehend, objurgate
Origin
Mid 16th century: from be- 'thoroughly' + rate2.