admonish

[ ad-mon-ish ]

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.

admonish

/ ˌædməˈnɪʃən; ədˈmɒnɪʃ /

verb

1. to reprove firmly but not harshly
2. to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution

Derived Forms

• admonition, noun
• adˈmonitory, adjective
• adˈmonisher, noun

Other Word Forms

• ad·mon·ish·er noun
• ad·mon·ish·ing·ly adverb
• ad·mon·ish·ment noun
• pre·ad·mon·ish verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of admonish¹

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”; monitor ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of admonish¹

C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin admonestāre (unattested), from Latin admonēre to put one in mind of, from monēre to advise

Synonym Study

See warn. See reprimand.

Example Sentences

Rickey’s energy is harmless yet seems mysteriously pained by unmet expectations, as when he gently admonishes Glenn: “Loosen up, you haven’t said anything funny.”

From Los Angeles Times

The court admonished her and released her without further punishment.

From BBC

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

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has been admonished after entering the private chambers of other judges and going through their papers and computers, according to the California Commission on Judicial Performance.

From Los Angeles Times

She was spared further punishment and admonished by Lord Beckett after he heard Gallagher had not offended over the last year.

From BBC

Related Words

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