1
as in punished
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
chastened the child with five minutes of sitting in the corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliated
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the unexpected loss to a second-rate player really chastened the tournament's top-seeded tennis star
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chastened
By now too many of us are wary of what’s being sold — sensitized by two years of deepfakes and soft slop, chastened by two decades of social media and rage-farming.
—
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Russia and China, though chastened by their inability to protect Venezuela, retain a strong interest in propping up Havana, given Cuba’s location just 90 miles south of Key West.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
But do the hierarchy want another frank agitator in Maresca, having been sufficiently chastened by Amorim’s semi-regular public declarations?
—Peter South, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Further, chastened by the backlash, the Warren Court, for the next four years with rare exceptions, maintained the status quo on a broad array of issues.
—Time, 14 Nov. 2025
Many have read Gödel and come away chastened by the limits of certainty—without concluding, as Richardson did, that the logical next step was to spend your life playing cards and paying prostitutes.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Russia and China, though chastened by their inability to protect Venezuela, retain a strong interest in propping up Havana, given Cuba’s location just 90 miles south of Key West.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
But do the hierarchy want another frank agitator in Maresca, having been sufficiently chastened by Amorim’s semi-regular public declarations?
—Peter South, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Further, chastened by the backlash, the Warren Court, for the next four years with rare exceptions, maintained the status quo on a broad array of issues.
—Time, 14 Nov. 2025
Many have read Gödel and come away chastened by the limits of certainty—without concluding, as Richardson did, that the logical next step was to spend your life playing cards and paying prostitutes.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chastened
Verb
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The appeals court found that the sentence punished Peters for maintaining that there was fraud in the 2020 election.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Any violence committed against an uninvolved third party in response to a crime is itself a new crime that can be justly repelled or punished.—
Connor Okeeffe,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At one point in his teenage years, Diaz was publicly humiliated by the football team who forcefully shaved his curly hair.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At the time, an FBI expert testified that a pubic hair found at the scene matched Duckett’s, although hair microscopy has since been discredited as an unreliable forensic method.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Still, the author's main argument wasn't totally discredited.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Former head coach Brian Daboll’s charge to the medical tent and behavior towards one of the Giants’ doctors also embarrassed the team.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
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Tonight’s ceremony had none of the major dramatic mishaps that have both embarrassed the Academy Awards’ organizers and affirmed the event’s status as must-see live TV.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When confronted with the reality of the universe – an enormous starry void we humans are only beginning to understand – scientists and space explorers are often stunned and humbled by the extent of their own ignorance.—
Deana L. Weibel,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
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Be humbled by this moment and realize there’s truth in it.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chastened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chastened. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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