Speaks harshly to someone in anger, scolding or criticizing them severely.
From Old French 'berat,' meaning to scold. The prefix 'be-' intensifies the action. Evolved from Germanic roots meaning 'to speak roughly' and became common in English by the 1500s.
The word 'berate' is unusual because it's one of the few English verbs where 'be-' acts as an intensifier rather than a locational prefix—it doesn't mean 'to become rate' but rather 'to rate heavily.' This pattern reveals how Old English verbs built intensity through prefixes rather than modifiers.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.