Definition of admonish
transitive verb
1a : to indicate duties or obligations tob : to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner were admonished for being late
2 : to give friendly earnest advice or encouragement to admonished them to be careful
admonisher
nounFrom the M-W Editors
admonish was our Word of the Day on 04/19/2013. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of admonish in a Sentence
“You landed in back of him,” said Paul, my guide and friend. As he admonished me, the fish turned obligingly, opened its mouth, wide and white, and engulfed my fly. —Peter Kaminsky, New York Times, 17 June 2001
He is sympathetic but never condescending, or patronizing, or moralizing. His purpose is not to admonish or deplore but to understand. —C. Vann Woodward, New York Times Book Review, 5 Feb. 1989
Cops are, from the first day in the academy, admonished that juveniles must not be shot unless in dire emergency … —Joseph Wambaugh, Lines and Shadows, 1984
They were admonished to take advantage of the opportunity.
my physician is always admonishing me to eat more healthy foods
Recent Examples of admonish from the Web
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Against Claire's wishes, Frank meets with Walker even after his silence is secured, and Walker admonishes Frank for stealing his mandate and stealing the presidency.
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The trip has largely gone off without a major misstep, with the administration touting the president's efforts to birth a new coalition to fight terrorism, while admonishing partners in an old alliance to pay their fair share.
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The trip has largely gone off without a major misstep, with the administration touting the president’s efforts to birth a new coalition to fight terrorism, while admonishing partners in an old alliance to pay their fair share.
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Near the end of her ruling, Galván admonished all sides in the case against trying the case in the media.
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Trump admonished NATO leaders Thursday in Brussels and also took a pop at Germany’s trade surplus.
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Gen. Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly admonished her in a letter, spurring California state leaders to respond in defense of state policies.
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For more than 200 years, laissez-faire economists have admonished kings and presidents – often bent on controlling the economy's mood swings – to simply set property rights and let the market determine prices.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'admonish'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Admonish was borrowed in the 14th century (via Anglo-French) from Vulgar Latin admonestare, which is itself an alteration of the Latin verb admonēre, meaning "to warn." Admonēre, in turn, was formed by the combination of the prefix ad- and monēre, "to warn." Other descendants of monēre in English include monitor, monitory ("giving a warning"), premonition, and even a now archaic synonym of admonish, monish. Incidentally, admonish has a number of other synonyms as well, including reprove, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, and chide.
Origin and Etymology of admonish
Middle English admonesten, from Anglo-French amonester, from Vulgar Latin *admonestare, alteration of Latin admonēre to warn, from ad- + monēre to warn — more at mind
First Known Use: 14th century
Synonym Discussion of admonish
ADMONISH Defined for English Language Learners
admonish
playDefinition of admonish for English Language Learners
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: to speak to (someone) in a way that expresses disapproval or criticism
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: to tell or urge (someone) to do something
ADMONISH Defined for Kids
admonish
playDefinition of admonish for Students
admonished
;admonishing
1 : to criticize or warn gently but seriously The principal admonished a student for talking.
2 : to give friendly advice or encouragement I admonished them to keep trying.
Learn More about admonish
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See words that rhyme with admonish Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for admonish Spanish Central: Translation of admonish Nglish: Translation of admonish for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of admonish for Arabic speakers
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