The word "scold" as defined at http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/scold
to speak in an angry or critical way to (someone who has done something wrong)
– He scolded [=reprimanded] the children for making a mess.
– The article scolds [=(more formally) berates, upbraids] the United Nations for not doing enough about the situation.
– “You should never have done that,” she scolded.
Also, from the same website "criticize" is defined as
to express disapproval of (someone or something) : to talk about the problems or faults of (someone or something)
[+ object]
– His boss criticized him for his sloppy work habits.
– The judge was widely/roundly criticized for his verdict.
– The editor criticized the author's work as trite.
I think "scold" is used when you someone senior tells shouts angrily at you for something that is considered considered incorrect, indicating that the recipient is at fault. On the other hand "criticize" could be when anyone "finds fault" without what you have done or the way you do things. I tend to use these words in different situations.However, looking at meanings their synonyms berate, rebuke, censure, lambaste, there does not seem to be much of a difference,could those two words be considered same?
On the same note, could rebuke and censure be considered the same?
Best Answer
Connotations for some of those words differ. Connotation is everything when considering which words are most synonymous.
You're right that to scold is to criticize or rebuke with more annoyance or even anger. -
Criticize itself doesn't carry a particular connotation of motive or emotion, just that of finding fault. Criticize can even mean merely to evaluate without necessarily finding fault.
Censure connotes formality, as in a formal, public pronouncement of strong criticism, or one that may carry a penalty.
Rebuke carries no connotation of formality, and is more like scold, but focuses a bit more on the harsh/sharp nature of the criticism.
If you want to learn about connotations, you need to look for them; just looking at a list of synonyms doesn't help much.
Look for a headword (usually bolded) in the synonyms, or preceded by "see usage notes at" (or something similar). This often involves, then, looking at several different entries for words that are listed as synonyms.