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
  • Otherwise, the tone of the show is pure cosmopolitan sympathy.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
  • That’s why Baumler’s pure stuff will only get him as far as his ability to command it against big league hitters.
    Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • As the resort sits on the shores of a pristine white sand beach, water activities are an all-day and night affair (moonlight snorkeling is a thing here).
    Nneka M. Okona, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
  • On Wednesday, the venerable ballpark will be named Sports Field Management Association’s (SMFA) 2025 Field of the Year, in the schools and parks category, for its pristine natural grass surface, a tribute to those who maintain it and a first for the state of Connecticut.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Though her most recent airport outfit was far more relaxed than her arrival look, never expect Amal’s jeans and sweaters to look anything less than immaculate.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The standard rooms are called deluxe because everything here is immaculate, generously proportioned and exquisitely comfortable – and all the guests are made to feel special.
    Caroline Law, TheWeek, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The data center will match 100 percent of its electricity use with clean energy, according to the company.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Feb. 2026
  • India’s clean energy rollout still relies on China, which dominates supply chains for critical minerals and electrotech.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The people around are astonished; in Uppsala they are used to something a little more modest.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The film tells the story 21-year-old Junyang, who drifts through life while his father quietly struggles to hold their modest home together.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • This is pure, unsullied Sicily at its best before even the Ancient Greeks got their deft hands on the island.
    Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaste. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on chaste

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