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 There were other stories that bothered him more, like a post by a writer who recounted a chaste one-night stand with Tea Party activist and Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell that described her pubic hair. — Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026 The songwriting is so chaste and disembodied that an Old Hollywood censor would have no problem greenlighting it. — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 20 Apr. 2026 Rue’s comparatively chaste behavior this season — including in scenes with high school love Jules (the always magnetic Hunter Schafer) — feels like a concession to Zendaya’s huge star power and public image. — Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026 Most notable of these other wives is Vrinda, the chaste wife of the demon Jalandhar. — Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chaste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaste
Adjective
  • In My Own Words is a product of the enchantment and pure yearning Ne-Yo saw as fundamental to R&B.
    — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The 100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils are crafted to deliver long-lasting, natural fragrance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Building on a legacy The mission to the Martian moons builds on Japan’s success in leading the Hayabusa and Hayabusa 2 missions, the world’s first two spacecraft to bring back pristine specimens from asteroids.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Chalk it up to premium materials and componentry to deliver pristine, noise-free sound from lossless digital media.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Of the 14 horses who live in immaculate pens on the property, the majority were rescued from kill pens.
    — Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The vibes were immaculate at State Farm Arena on Wednesday night.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • People can donate clean costumes and pick a new one, reducing waste and the resources and emissions required to make new ones.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The brand’s Peptide Detox shampoo, which adsorbs hard water deposits to thoroughly clean hair, has amassed 238,000 impressions on TikTok this month and can consistently be found topping the app’s section for popular searches.
    — Tracy Achonwa, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Scheibenbogen reports that the kids who cut out social media entirely showed modest increases in mental well-being that started wearing off five weeks later.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Net Book Agreement allowed discounts only for schoolbooks and a modest consideration for public libraries (5 percent).
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • In Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, evil is a native sickness that contaminates an otherwise perfect, unsullied child of empire.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But the prosecutor leading the case against the Tates, Rareș Stan, had an unsullied reputation.
    — Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaste. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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