Select the word that is opposite in meaning to the word BERATE.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Endorse
Berate (verb) means to scold or criticise someone angrily. When a person is berated, he is told off harshly for something he has done. Its antonym is endorse.
Example: The coach berated the players for their careless defence.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Endorse (answer) | to approve of or support someone or something publicly (angry criticism shows disapproval, while endorsing shows approval and support) | The minister endorsed the new education policy. |
| (2) Censure | to criticise someone strongly and formally (a synonym of berate) | The committee censured the officer for neglect of duty. |
| (3) Pillory | to criticise or mock someone in public (it too is close to berate in meaning) | The newspapers pilloried the actor for his remarks. |
| (4) Liberate | to set free (it only looks like berate and has nothing to do with scolding) | The army liberated the town from the enemy. |
Note: In the original NTA paper, Option 3 read "Gentle". NTA accepted this option as a correct answer as well. To leave only one correct answer and avoid confusion for students, it has been changed here to "Pillory".
Advice for the exam: In the real exam, mark the answer that is grammatically or factually correct. If NTA’s provisional answer key marks a different option, challenge it during the answer-key challenge window and give the reason in one or two lines.
| Synonyms of berate: scold, censure, rebuke, reprimand Antonyms of berate: praise, commend, applaud, endorse Also asked in CUET (UG): berate – 21-05-2026 Slot 1 endorse – 14-05-2026 Slot 2, 21-05-2025 Slot 1 censure – 14-05-2026 Slot 2, 26-05-2025 Slot 1 |