chastise

verb

chastised; chastising

transitive verb

1
: to censure severely : castigate
The coach chastised the players for their mistakes.
2
: to inflict punishment on (as by whipping)
3
archaic : chasten sense 2
chastisement
(ˌ)cha-ˈstīz-mənt How to pronounce chastise (audio)
 also  ˈchas-təz-
noun
chastiser noun

Did you know?

There are many words to express the infliction of a penalty in return for wrongdoing—for example, chastise, castigate, chasten, correct, discipline, and punish. Of these, chastise, chasten, and castigate share similar origins as well as similar meanings. Chastise developed as an altered form of chasten, which comes from the Anglo-French chastier, which has its roots in the Latin verb castigare, which also gave English the word castigate.

Choose the Right Synonym for chastise

punish, chastise, castigate, chasten, discipline, correct mean to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing.

punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing.

punished for stealing

chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.

chastised his son for neglecting his studies

castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.

an editorial castigating the entire city council

chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.

chastened by a landslide election defeat

discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.

parents must discipline their children

correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.

the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer

Examples of chastise in a Sentence

The waiter was chastised for forgetting the customer's order. The coach is always chastising the players for minor mistakes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 60-year-old continued his cryptic message, chastising liars and those who propagate and promote falsehoods and inauthenticity. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2024 The interplay between pervert audience and chastising host is a delicate dance, as old as time. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024 Nearly a decade ago, while visiting a park in the U.S. with her then-nearly 3-year-old daughter, she was approached by an American parent who chastised her for sitting on a bench while her daughter ran free. Jackie Mader, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024 Westlake says this serves an important purpose—not to chastise people for going on holiday, but to direct attention to people whose lifestyles really do have an exceptionally high carbon impact. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chastise 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English chastisen, borrowed from Anglo-French chastiser, extension, with a suffix of uncertain origin, of chastier, castier "to correct by punishment, discipline" — more at chasten

Note: As has long been noted, the formation of this verb in Anglo-French is peculiar. The date is too early to expect a derivative with -iser -ize in Anglo-French or English, and there is no verb *chastir that could have produced a stem chastiss-.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of chastise was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chastise

Cite this Entry

“Chastise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chastise. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

chastise

verb
chas·​tise (ˈ)chas-ˈtīz How to pronounce chastise (audio)
chastised; chastising
1
: to punish severely (as by whipping)
2
: to criticize harshly
chastisement
(ˈ)chas-ˈtīz-mənt How to pronounce chastise (audio)
 also  ˈchas-təz-
noun
chastiser noun

More from Merriam-Webster on chastise

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!