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
  • However, removing these roses frees up space, reduces fungal disease and makes room for vigorous varieties that bring pure joy.
    — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But with Anthropic poised to become the first pure-play AI company to hit the public market, minting a number of new billionaires and many more millionaires in the process, a heightened level of scrutiny is coming.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • This plan has faced bipartisan backlash for its involvement of Big Bend National Park, a cherished area known for its stunning canyons and pristine desert landscape.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026
  • There’s a clean, pristine theatrical order to the playing area.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • Service is immaculate in that distinctly Japanese way—anticipatory, respectful, never overbearing—and there’s an elegance to the hospitality here that feels deeply ingrained rather than trained.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The glow of many Turners has dwindled, thanks to unstable pigments, but here is an immaculate exception.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • Polished, unpretentious, and with charisma in spades, Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne is clean, Swiss alpine living at its most glamorous.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Rather than relying solely on movement around the pool, the navigation system is intended to help the cleaner cover surfaces more methodically, reducing the amount of manual intervention required.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • The benefit is usually modest, so breathing exercises work best alongside prescribed treatments.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight braid, meant to be modest, but instead accentuating her cordate face and the golden saucers of her eyes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • More than anything, there seems to be a sense that taking shots at a nearly 40-year-old streetwear institution is a way to prove one’s unsullied dedication to a sense of anticonsumerism.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Chaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaste. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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