berating

American  

[bih-rey-ting] / bɪˈreɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or habit of scolding, rebuking, or harshly criticizing another.

   The player earned a red card for his constant berating of the referee.

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adjective

1. scolding, rebuking, or harshly criticizing.

   When you talk to him about these behavioral issues, take care not to use a berating tone.

Etymology

Origin of berating

First recorded in 1830–40; berat(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; berat(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

Then as now, Martin chose a polite but firm approach to Trump, who spent much of the question-and-answer session berating US allies for rebuffing his calls to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Despite Egadze scoring only 154.79 for the free skate - 27 points lower than his season best - there was no berating.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

She claims in her suit that Reid retaliated against her after she spurned his advances, berating her in front of staff after she brought in a young Kanye West for a label audition.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

Beijing’s retaliation has included berating Tokyo at the United Nations, canceling flights to Japan and threatening a ban on imports of Japanese seafood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

It sounds as if he’s berating her, but he’s telling the girl what to do.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

• admonition
• censure
• condemnation
• disapproval
• punishment
• rebuff
• reproach
• snub