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
  • Unitree’s debut is the first real public-market pricing on a pure-play humanoid robot company.
    John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • His pure skill level and offensive IQ are long-term minor concerns.
    Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Winding through miles of pristine farmland and countryside will be more than 300 high-voltage steel towers with an average height of 145 feet, the height of a 14-story building.
    Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The roads, repaved every four years for the inauguration, were of pristine quality.
    Adam Kilgore, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • An immaculate natural setting, meticulous interior design, simple pleasures such as a complete sense of privacy, and impeccable service are just some of the highlights.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cage plays Roy, a gifted con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder whose tics, phobias and elaborate rituals have turned his immaculate home into a fortress against the world.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • O’Donnell added people often take for granted how the economy is dependent on nature, by providing us with food, water and clean air.
    Jamie Hailstone, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Once the cycle is complete, the dirty water drains away and you’re left with clean, wet clothing.
    Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The White House has eagerly taken credit for the modest rebound in manufacturing jobs this year, with some 31,000 new positions added since January.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The trial found similar benefits to those observed by Snyder’s team; these included heightened libido and a modest improvement to mood.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 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 24 Aug. 2026.

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