berate
to scold or criticize someone angrily and at length
Word origin: From the intensifier be- plus rate, an archaic verb meaning to scold.
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Verbal · Text Completion
The novelist's late style is admired precisely for its blank: every superfluous phrase has been pared away, leaving prose of startling economy.
Using “berate” well
Berate implies prolonged, angry scolding aimed at a person, not a measured criticism of an idea. The tone is harsher than reprove or correct.
More GRE words starting with B
marked by riotous, unrestrained revelry and drunken festivity
to pester or harass someone persistently
light, playful, and witty banter
to confuse or perplex thoroughly
threatening harm or menacing in a sinister way
to hesitate or refuse to proceed with something
to swell or puff out, or to increase rapidly in amount or size
lacking originality and so dull or commonplace
Questions about “berate”
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