chastise
verb
(ˌ)cha-ˈstīz
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If you want to understand the meaning of chastise (which comes from the Anglo-French verb castier, meaning “to discipline”), you could do worse than to turn to popular music. Pop, rap, jazz, rock, country—there’s not a single genre that isn’t full of songs penned from the point of view of jilted and/or cheated lovers chastising—that is, harshly criticizing—the one who did them wrong. Nearly every song on Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade, for example, is a master class in chastisement (chastisement being, of course, the noun form of chastise), featuring such lyrics as “What a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you” and “Ten times out of nine, I know you’re lying.” Chastise itself pops up in lyrics occasionally, too, as sung by artists including Guns N’ Roses (“So don’t chastise me or think I mean you harm”), Dr. Dre (“Fool, you better recognize / Death Row came to chastise”), and Janet Jackson (“Control and chastise / An instrument of punishment / Like a whip”). Jackson’s use is notable in particular for representing the word’s oldest sense, less common but still in use, of “to inflict punishment on (as with a whip).”
Examples of chastise in a Sentence
Brett Samuels, The Hill, 19 June 2025
One of the most memorable scenes from You've Got Mail features Kathleen (Ryan) chastising Joe (Tom Hanks) for hoarding all of the caviar instead of using it as a garnish.
—Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 14 June 2025
But the Humane Society wasted no time rejecting much of the grand jury report, publicly chastising the volunteer panel last month and disputing the findings.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
Four weeks ago, Mr. Vance met with Francis, who had publicly chastised his theology and position on immigration.
—Matthew Mpoke Bigg, New York Times, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for chastise
Cite this Entry
“Chastise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chastise. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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chastise
verb
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