as in punitive
inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment
a chastening hour spent cleaning floors should discourage them from further pranks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in condemnation
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in punishing
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
chastened the child with five minutes of sitting in the corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliating
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the unexpected loss to a second-rate player really chastened the tournament's top-seeded tennis star
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Recent Examples of chastening
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Jack Bantock, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
The American suffered a chastening 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon final eight weeks ago, the first time in the Open Era that a women’s player has failed to win a single game in the final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Two months later, his side suffered a 5-2 defeat to Crystal Palace, followed by a chastening 5-0 loss away to Chelsea in May.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Market shakeouts are about testing risk tolerances, forcing a rethink of unexamined premises and, at times, chastening the arrogant.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
For all the positivity that greeted back-to-back victories against Aston Villa and Real Madrid over the previous eight days, this was in some ways their most chastening defeat so far.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
Como had been neck-and-neck with Roma’s miserly backline before shipping four at Inter last Saturday, a chastening defeat that ended an unbeaten run stretching back to the end of August.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2025
The American suffered a chastening 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon final eight weeks ago, the first time in the Open Era that a women’s player has failed to win a single game in the final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Two months later, his side suffered a 5-2 defeat to Crystal Palace, followed by a chastening 5-0 loss away to Chelsea in May.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Market shakeouts are about testing risk tolerances, forcing a rethink of unexamined premises and, at times, chastening the arrogant.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chastening
Adjective
-
Miller was transferred out of the department's digital forensics unit in late 2024, though a former Fairfax County commander testified the reassignment was not punitive or disciplinary.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The punitive Federal Reserve asset cap for past misdeeds was lifted back in June — so 2026 will represent the first full year that management can compete on a level playing field in core lending operations and in other business lines such as investment banking.—
Zev Fima,Matthew J. Belvedere,
CNBC,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The shooting inflamed tensions a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, prompting protests and condemnation from state and city officials there.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Elon Musk’s xAI has restricted its AI chatbot Grok’s image generation capabilities to paying subscribers only, following widespread condemnation over its use to create non-consensual sexualized images of real women and children.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Anyone who’s been judged, rejected, or ghosted for doing so knows how punishing that vulnerability can be.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
14 Jan. 2026
-
More than two months ago, Israel and Hamas signed a cease-fire agreement that offered Palestinians in Gaza a hope of respite after a punishing two-year Israeli bombardment that left much of their enclave in ruins.—
Samuel Granados,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This announcement, humiliating the involved member, is harmful.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Case appealed, headed to Idaho Supreme Court Neither side was fully satisfied by the decision — or appeared to take Scott’s chastisement to heart.—
Rose Evans
Updated December 10,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Frail, undernourished, lacking sufficient clothing, and shoeless, Kammo is overburdened by chores and in constant fear of chastisement.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Megan thee Stallion, legal name Megan Pete, sued Milagro Cooper last year for defamation, accusing her of working with Tory Lanez on discrediting her during his own trial with Pete where he was convicted of shooting her in the foot.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
-
On Thursday, India’s Press Information Bureau dismissed earlier social-media posts claiming that a Tejas aircraft had an oil leak during the air show, saying they were aimed at discrediting the fighter’s established technical reliability with unfounded claims, according to The Associated Press.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Based on that estimate, the board persuaded members to approve an $18,750 assessment per person.—
Chase Jordan
January 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
-
That’s the highest assessment level available through criteria like teacher-child interactions and program management.—
Wilborn P. Nobles III,
Dallas Morning News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hafley said Wednesday that having his name being mentioned as a head coaching candidate is flattering and humbling.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The whole ordeal was humbling and perspective-giving, and leaves me feeling a lot of things.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chastening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chastening. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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