Definition of chastenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word chaste distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of chaste are decent, modest, and pure. While all these words mean "free from all taint of what is lewd or salacious," chaste primarily implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or not sanctioned by marriage vows.

they maintained chaste relations

How are the words modest and decent related as synonyms of chaste?

Both modest and decent apply especially to deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity.

preferred more modest swimsuits
decent people didn't go to such movies

How do pure and chaste relate to one another?

Pure differs from chaste in implying innocence and absence of temptation rather than control of one's impulses and actions.

the pure of heart

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 chaste By bedtime, Jeremiah and Huda are already making out under the covers and Belle-A has negotiated one chaste spoon with Nic, but no one else seems ready to get close. Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 4 June 2025 Our Lady was chaste, willingly, willfully passive, untainted by the grottiness of ordinary life. Lamorna Ash, The Dial, 6 May 2025 Some medieval and Renaissance artists, for example, portrayed Mary breast-feeding the infant Jesus at a chaste distance, such that the milk spurts of its own accord into his mouth. S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 For many traditionalists, effective enforcement of this teaching would mean cracking down on homosexuality among the clergy, including gay clergy who are celibate and chaste. Massimo Faggioli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2018 See All Example Sentences for chaste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaste
Adjective
  • Investigators suspected Austin's story was pure fiction.
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
  • True, Shakespeare had added the characters of Touchstone and Jacques, thus mocking the sport of love and misting it in disillusionment; but most of the plot is pure Lodge.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Today, light pollution and satellite contamination steal those pristine views from many of us.
    Big Think, Big Think, 23 Mar. 2026
  • The hardwood floors glisten and the walls are pristine.
    James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Three matches into the campaign, San Diego is undefeated and defensively immaculate.
    Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Go Vertical For Evans, maintaining an immaculate home is all about the details.
    Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Both heavily influenced Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law and the Build Back Better Act, centered on the economy and clean energy, though their powers were notably leveraged to the max under a 50-50 Democratic majority.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Fuel cells powered by hydrogen are widely seen as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, but their high cost has limited their use.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Starting with its modest entrance in the back lot at Park Road Shopping Center, Sir Ed’s is at first glance a rather unassuming basement-level bar and restaurant with cozy lighting, dark wood accents and lots of Guinness paraphernalia.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
  • In the mid-1990s, Kennedy rented a modest Sagaponack cottage known as Sea Song, sharing it with his cousin Anthony Radziwill and Radziwill’s wife, journalist and Real Housewives of New York City alum Carole Radziwill.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Still, every few minutes, a treasure hunter finds an unsullied remnant and places it in a tote bag or basket for safe keeping.
    Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
  • With almost 13 million acres of the world’s most biodiverse rain forest, rich with jaguars, hummingbirds, and 2,000 butterfly species (take that, Costa Rica), plus some 1,800 miles of unsullied coastline, this country is poised for a tourism boom.
    John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaste. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.

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