Meaning & use
berate
To scold or criticize someone angrily and at length.
See it in a sentence
The coach berated the referee for missing an obvious foul near the end.
She berated herself for forgetting her passport at home on the day of the flight.
A note on using this word
Berate implies a prolonged, harsh scolding, stronger than a simple 'tell off', and can be reflexive, as in 'berate oneself'.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
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