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
  • Over time, no existing civilization has remained ethnically or culturally pure or set in the same borders.
    Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • There’s nothing slavishly authentic here, but the recipes’ bones are pure Mexico.
    Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Camp out under the stars near a pristine, white sand beach at Water Canyon Campground, located on Santa Rosa Island.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026
  • There are also the pristine stretches of sand around Cape Peninsula, a rocky mountain that juts into the sea, including a large colony of African penguins on Boulders Beach, the surfers’ paradise of Llandudno, and nudist-friendly Sandy Bay.
    Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 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
  • The clarifying formula also removes mineral deposits left behind by hard water, creating a cleaner foundation for hair with more natural movement.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Even her decision to send Bernard out to clean feels more vindictive than logical.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • One of the newest members of the billionaire club, Scale AI cofounder Lucy Guo, is a more recent example of someone whose spending habits have remained relatively modest as her fortune has soared.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The United States, for its part, has made modest efforts to repair the relationship.
    C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 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 30 Aug. 2026.

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