berate

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɪˈɹeɪt/^[1]

Etymology

It was formed in English from be- (“thoroughly”) and rate “to scold”,^[2][3][4] a verb recorded from about 1390.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

To scold vehemently (1548).^[5][2][6][3]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has not changed.^[5][6] The first edition of the OED marked it obsolete except in the United States, but it seems to have revived in Britain in the 20th century.^[3]

Timeline

• about 1390 – rate, to scold.^[2][3]
• 1548 – berate.^[5][2][6]

Modern meaning

Verb

1. To scold or rebuke angrily and at length.

Usage notes

Random House gives abuse, vilify, vituperate and objurgate as synonyms.^[4]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
5. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster