admonish

American  

[ad-mon-ish] / ædˈmɒn ɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to caution, advise, or counsel against something.

2. to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner.

   The teacher admonished him about excessive noise.

   Synonyms:

   upbraid, censure, rebuke

3. to urge to a duty; remind.

   to admonish them about their obligations.

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admonish British  

/ ˌædməˈnɪʃən, ədˈmɒnɪʃ /

verb

1. to reprove firmly but not harshly

2. to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution

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Related Words

See warn. See reprimand.

Other Word Forms

• admonisher noun
• admonishingly adverb
• admonishment noun
• admonition noun
• admonitory adjective
• preadmonish verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of admonish

First recorded in 1275–1325; late Middle English admonish, amonesche, admonesse, amoness, Middle English a(d)monest (with -t later taken as past participle suffix), from Anglo-French, Old French amonester, from Vulgar Latin admonestāre (unrecorded), apparently derivative of Latin admonēre “to remind, give advice to” (source of -est- is uncertain), equivalent to ad- ad- ( def. ) + monēre “to remind, warn”; cf. monitor ( def. )

Explanation

To admonish is to scold. If you want to show someone you're not happy with his behavior, admonish him. Coming to English through Old French from the Latin admonere, "to advise, remind," admonish is always used with an eye on improving someone's behavior. The exact meaning of this formal verb varies in intensity depending generally on who is being corrected. If a child or subordinate is being admonished, it means "scold" or "rebuke" whereas if someone admonishes a person with equal standing, warn or advise are closer synonyms.

Example Sentences

Savage went on to empower our community to admonish naysayers of queer party-going, community enrichment, and quality time — however we choose to define those terms.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2025

But Mr Costello's testimony was contradicted by his own emails, and in an unusual and chaotic moment, a furious Justice Merchan cleared the courtroom so he could admonish Costello about his behaviour on the stand.

From BBC • May 30, 2024

Justice Juan Merchan had to admonish Trump for “cursing audibly” and “shaking his head visually.”

From Slate • May 11, 2024

Judges appointed to the bench by presidents of both political parties have sought to use their platforms to combat distortions about the attack and admonish rioters for casting themselves as victims of political persecution.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 5, 2024

“You are docile today. Did your sister admonish you? She desires our approval very much.”

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

• advise
• berate
• censure
• chide
• enjoin
• exhort
• rebuke
• reprimand
• scold
• upbraid
• warn