(pronounced bih-RAYT or bee-RAYT)

To give someone or a group of people an old fashioned scolding. In other words, to condemn in a very noticeable and angry manner – sometimes for an unusually long time. It’s never fun to be berated.

Example: Jonathan’s weekly project meetings were never something to look forward to since the grouchy developer tended to pick one person on the project team to berate every week – justifiably or not.