admonished

[ ad-mon-isht ]

adjective

1. rebuked or reminded of one’s duty, especially in a mild manner or with good will:

   As she spoke, the employee looked down and kicked the dirt like an admonished child.

   Tears came not from the admonished four-year-old who had destroyed the elaborate sandcastle, but from my dad, who had built it.

2. cautioned or advised against something; warned:

   A previously admonished person entering the premises without the owner’s written authorization shall be deemed to be trespassing.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of admonish.

Other Words From

• un·ad·mon·ished adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of admonished¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; admonish ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; admonish ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Maybe she yielded to the far left, which admonished her for stigmatizing felons.

From Salon

Evangelist Franklin Graham admonished Trump not to use "foul language," the former president recalled, but Trump argued it is not a "real bad word" and "I don't use it much."

From Salon

Earlier in the day he gently admonished a reporter for being too critical of California racing.

From Los Angeles Times

Bertoli even played with his band, Court ‘n’ Disaster, at a fundraiser event opposing the consolidation — a band that he promoted with his judicial title and was separately admonished for in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times

In the interview, the former chief of staff said he had admonished Trump multiple times for making admiring statements about Adolf Hitler, such as, “You know, Hitler did some good things, too.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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