1
as in scolded
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
castigated him for his constant tardiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacked
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
a newspaper editorial castigating the city council for approving the project in the first place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in punished
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
a judge who believes in castigating criminals to the full extent of the law
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of castigated
His memorable scene from the pic saw Jerjerrof being castigated by Darth Vader for the slow construction of the second Death Star.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 May 2026
Just days before the child’s death, Supervisor Arenas had castigated agency officials for concealing a November status report from the state that listed unresolved concerns.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump has repeatedly and publicly called for her release since his return to office last year, and he’s castigated Polis for not pardoning her or transferring her into federal custody.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Trump castigated the court for not spelling out what happens to the tens of billions of dollars the government has already collected.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Also, lawmakers repeatedly castigated the insurance executives for trying to pad their profits by denying or delaying approval of the care doctors say their patients need.
—Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Trump has castigated European allies, particularly Denmark, for doing too little to protect the region.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony also castigated the deputies for mishandling the 14 calls Mary made to BSO in the year leading up to her death.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
The court gave the green light for those sweeping immigration operations to continue in Los Angeles — a decision that was praised by the White House and castigated by immigrant rights advocates.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 May 2026
Just days before the child’s death, Supervisor Arenas had castigated agency officials for concealing a November status report from the state that listed unresolved concerns.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump has repeatedly and publicly called for her release since his return to office last year, and he’s castigated Polis for not pardoning her or transferring her into federal custody.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Trump castigated the court for not spelling out what happens to the tens of billions of dollars the government has already collected.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Also, lawmakers repeatedly castigated the insurance executives for trying to pad their profits by denying or delaying approval of the care doctors say their patients need.
—Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Trump has castigated European allies, particularly Denmark, for doing too little to protect the region.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony also castigated the deputies for mishandling the 14 calls Mary made to BSO in the year leading up to her death.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
The court gave the green light for those sweeping immigration operations to continue in Los Angeles — a decision that was praised by the White House and castigated by immigrant rights advocates.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigated
Verb
-
The child, now 6 years old, only hears her full name when she's being scolded — though Kendra and Bill are currently trying to undo that pattern.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
27 May 2026
-
Katie Porter scolded, Tom Steyer channeled Bernie.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Carney said antisemites in Canada have fired bullets at Jewish schools and thrown firebombs at synagogues and attacked community centers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
Thousands of mail carriers across the United States were attacked by dogs in 2025, with Los Angeles topping the list for most attacks, according to a new report from the United States Postal Service.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Her attorneys argue she is being punished for her honesty.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
-
My thesis this week for a bearish-to-bullish reversal rested on the idea that ZS had been unfairly punished and that the 50-day moving average was turning positive.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
It was also being lectured by people who presented a formulaic perspective on a complicated future that the class of 2026 is already navigating.—
Ann Kirschner,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
For years, states such as New York and California have been run by politicians who seem to believe prosperity is permanent — an endless resource to be taxed a little more, regulated a little harder and lectured a little longer.—
Larry Clifton,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That window has not slammed shut.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Overnight, a Russian drone slammed into a Romanian building.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Yeboah was being reprimanded for an incident in Wednesday’s training session, but the exact circumstances are not yet known.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2026
-
In this production, the Hispanic Romeo can only speak his native tongue at home and is reprimanded by his cousin Benvolio for daring to do so anywhere else.—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the most notable examples came when former MVP James Harden publicly criticized then-Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey after Morey's support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong triggered a backlash from Chinese officials and business partners.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Trump harshly criticized Powell throughout his tenure as chair, frequently attacking the Fed’s interest-rate decisions and urging the central bank to cut borrowing costs more aggressively.—
Leah Willingham,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Protectionism and tariffs increased, and growing numbers blamed the citizens of other countries for their problems.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
The lack of clear governance can stall AI adoption from the outset, as 80% of companies say accountability is unclear in their organizations, and 72% of employees fear being blamed if AI experiments fail, according to an Altimetrik survey cited by Forbes.—
Nitin Rakesh,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Castigated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigated. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
