verb
-
to discipline or punish, esp by beating
-
to scold severely
Other Word Forms
- chastisable adjective
- chastisement noun
- chastiser noun
- nonchastisement noun
- self-chastise verb (used with object)
- self-chastisement noun
- unchastisable adjective
- unchastising adjective
Etymology
Origin of chastise
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English chastisen, equivalent to chasti(en) “to chasten ” + -s-, of unknown origin + -en infinitive suffix
Explanation
Chastise is a fancy word for telling someone that something they did was really bad. If you pick your nose, your mom will probably yell at you. If you pick your nose in front of the Queen of England, your mom will chastise you. Back in the Middle Ages, chastise used to also come with a beating — that sense of the word has passed, and in fact, people tend to use chastise when they are trying to accuse someone else of overreacting. "You're chastising me for forgetting to feed the cat, but it's not like the cat died!"
Vocabulary lists containing chastise
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Critics of gold use this fact to chastise the proponents of a return to a gold-backed dollar.
From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025
Before the denouement came one more opportunity to chastise the Australians, one more chance to be at the centre of a red-hot Ashes tussle.
From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025
But in their darkest hour, when the most odious contestant seems inevitable, the Cady of the conclave asserts his presence to chastise his fellow cardinals for their pettiness.
From Salon • Nov. 22, 2024
Jeremy Stahl: She really does seem to chastise the progressive justices.
From Slate • Mar. 4, 2024
“Don’t chastise me. I won’t let you do that.”
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
