chasten

play

verb chas·ten \ˈchā-s^ən\

Definition of chasten

chastened

;

chastening

play \ˈchās-niŋ, ˈchā-s^ən-iŋ\

transitive verb
1 : to correct by punishment or suffering : discipline If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men — 2 Samuel 7: 14 (King James Version); also : purify
2a : to prune (something, such as a work or style of art) of excess, pretense, or falsity : refineb : to cause to be more humble or restrained : subdue He was chastened by his team's defeat.

chastener

play \ˈchās-nər, ˈchā-s^ən-ər\ noun

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chasten was our Word of the Day on 07/12/2011. Hear the podcast!

Examples of chasten in a Sentence

chastened the child with five minutes of sitting in the corner
the unexpected loss to a second-rate player really chastened the tournament's top-seeded tennis star

Recent Examples of chasten from the Web

Organizers, chastened by the premature celebrations that followed the House bill's initial stutter, exist in a state of constant alarm, bags packed for a return to the barricades.

— gregory krieg, CNN, "The Democrats actually want to 'own' health care. But not how Donald Trump means it.," 19 July 2017
The media, chastened by the birther episode, didn’t bite.

— joshua green, Daily Intelligencer, "Steve Bannon Is Out of Trump’s Doghouse and Leading the Charge Against Mueller," 9 July 2017
Chastened by the recent crackdown, other opposition figures believe the government will simply find a way to stop Aksener.

— jared malsin / istanbul, Time, "Turkey's 'Iron Lady' Is Getting Ready to Challenge Erdogan," 3 July 2017
Black girls called out more overall, but were also chastened at a higher rate than other kids who called out.

— natalie jacewicz, The Cut, "Black Girls Are Perceived As Less Innocent Than White Girls — Starting at Age 5," 28 June 2017
Tough Week Ahead Still chastened by her election flop, May faces another tough week with the House of Commons set to vote on her legislative program on Thursday.

— tim ross, Bloomberg.com, "May to Detail U.K. Plan for EU Citizens as Davis Vows Fight," 25 June 2017
Tough Week Ahead Still chastened by her election flop, May faces another tough week with the House of Commons set to vote on her legislative program on Thursday.

— tim ross, Bloomberg.com, "May to Detail U.K. Plan for EU Citizens as Davis Vows Fight," 25 June 2017
Chastened by an election which left her Conservative Party short of a majority in parliament and reopened debate on the nature of Britain's EU exit, Ms. May also sidelined reform on social care, education and corporate governance.

— william james and elizabeth piper, The Christian Science Monitor, "Queen’s Speech outlines Brexit policies, backed by May’s commitment to listen," 21 June 2017
Diana raked through every line of his first book, on Matthew Arnold, chastening each awkward phrase and disciplining Lionel’s clauses and rhythms.

— tobi haslett, The New Yorker, "The Feuds of Diana Trilling," 29 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chasten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

If you say you would "castigate" or "chastise" someone in order to "chasten" them, you demonstrate a good knowledge of the origin of "chasten" - all three verbs derive from the Latin verb castigare, meaning "to punish." The trio shares an initial sense of "to subject to severe and often physical punishment," but all three verbs are now as likely to refer to a verbal dressing-down as a physical lesson. "Chasten" (which arrived in English via Anglo-French chastier) can also be used to mean "to prune of excess, pretense, or falsity." This led to the more general sense of "to make more subdued," although the humility can be imposed by a humiliating situation as easily as by a strict taskmaster.

Origin and Etymology of chasten

alteration of obsolete English chaste to chasten, from Middle English, from Anglo-French chastier, from Latin castigare, from castus + -igare (from agere to drive) — more at act

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First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of chasten

punish, chastise, castigate, chasten, discipline, correct mean to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing. punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing. punished for stealing chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation. chastised his son for neglecting his studies castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure. an editorial castigating the entire city council chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued. chastened by a landslide election defeat discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control. parents must discipline their children correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender. the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer