Which word means 'to blame or scold sharply; find fault with'?

Which word means 'to blame or scold sharply; find fault with'?

• A. To praise lavishly
• B. To blame or scold sharply; find fault with
• C. To ignore or overlook
• D. To forgive reluctantly

Answer: (B)

This question tests your ability to pick a verb that means to blame or scold sharply; find fault with. The word that fits this definition exactly is berate. Berate means to reprimand someone in a harsh, severe, and often loud way, expressing strong disapproval. It conveys intensity and a harsh tone in criticizing someone. For context, you might use it like: The supervisor berated the employee for arriving late again, delivering a sharp, relentless rebuke. The other options describe actions different from harshly criticizing: praising lavishly is the opposite of scolding; ignoring or overlooking means neglect; forgiving reluctantly implies tolerating or excusing with reluctance, not harsh fault-finding.

This question tests your ability to pick a verb that means to blame or scold sharply; find fault with. The word that fits this definition exactly is berate. Berate means to reprimand someone in a harsh, severe, and often loud way, expressing strong disapproval. It conveys intensity and a harsh tone in criticizing someone.

For context, you might use it like: The supervisor berated the employee for arriving late again, delivering a sharp, relentless rebuke.

The other options describe actions different from harshly criticizing: praising lavishly is the opposite of scolding; ignoring or overlooking means neglect; forgiving reluctantly implies tolerating or excusing with reluctance, not harsh fault-finding.