Past tense of berate; scolded or criticized someone harshly and at length.
From 'berate,' which combines the prefix 'be-' with 'rate' (meaning to scold). 'Rate' comes from Old French 'rater.' The prefix adds intensity, so berate means to thoroughly scold or rate harshly.
To be berated is worse than just being yelled at—the word suggests a sustained, intense stream of criticism, like someone really taking time to explain all your failures in detail.
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