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
  • The interactions between Bourdain and Ciro are pure movie magic and that’s due partly to the performances — both actors have to be in the Oscar race — as well as to the screenplay by Johnson, Todd Bartels, Lou Howe and Matthew Miller.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Unauthorized sequels reveal the extremes of why people make movies in the first place, from purely cynical money grabs to pure — even naive — devotion to characters and their world.
    Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The pristine green fields of the Little Haiti Soccer Park, for example, got to 121 degrees, even after an afternoon storm.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Sandwiched between two Porsches is a Ferrari Testarossa—pristine inside and out—wearing black paint with a red interior.
    Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Nothing of this reality is visible in the paintings themselves, whose facture is immaculate.
    Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Welcome to Berkeley, where the vibes are immaculate, the views are world-class, and football enthusiasm has traditionally gone to die.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Interiors are clean, simple, and respectful of the buildings' heritage.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Store them in dedicated shoe bags Getting dirt and grime from your shoes on your clean clothes won’t end your trip early.
    Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Although the eclipse will be modest compared with the total eclipses seen in 2017 and 2024, favorable weather and an almost perfectly moonless night could make this one of the most memorable astronomy events of the year.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • For years, the FDA has fallen far short on meeting its modest annual goals for foreign food facility inspections, the US Government Accountability Office has found, as the agency struggled to hire and train inspectors.
    Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • But the prosecutor leading the case against the Tates, Rareș Stan, had an unsullied reputation.
    Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
  • For those who have lost everything so others can appear unsullied, the only recourse may be getting what they’re owed in blood.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaste. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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