chastening 1 of 3

adjective

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

chastening

2 of 3

noun

as in condemnation

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Dissimilar Words

chastening

3 of 3

verb

present participle of chasten
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

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 chastening
Adjective
Sunderland are lurking and, perhaps for the first time under Howe’s management, Newcastle are in deficit, needing a response (yet again) after a chastening night in Europe. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Italian team arrived at Silverstone after a chastening Austria weekend, one race removed from Lewis Hamilton’s sensational win in Spain. — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 July 2026 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
  1. punitive
  2. condemnation
  3. punishing
  4. humiliating
  5. chastisement
  6. discrediting
  7. assessment
  8. humbling
Adjective
  • By contrast, Rule 11 sanctions are not so much remedial but are punitive in nature.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Caught between two opposing cultures, drawing on a cache of letters, documents, and remembrances, Ferrer meticulously recounts the travails of one migrant family and a punitive legal system that dogged them, skewering ideals of equity and fairness.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of punitive
Noun
  • This means private landowners may have more success challenging condemnation actions under their state constitutions than in federal court.
    — Aaron Walayat, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
  • Beneath the memoir runs a steady defense of everyday Beirutis and, equally, a condemnation of the world that distances itself from their pain.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
Definition of condemnation
Verb
  • As evidence of this theme across the whole tournament, the same rotations can be found in the second group game, against Saudi Arabia — punishing the opposition in wide areas with opposite movements to drag players out of position.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • The Greek myths are rife with petty and meddlesome deities squabbling, playing favorites, punishing harshly, and otherwise wreaking havoc on the lives of mortal men.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of punishing
Verb
  • The Iranians are now setting the terms of this conflict and are routinely humiliating the American president.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Definition of humiliating
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
Definition of chastisement
Verb
  • Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Definition of discrediting
Noun
  • Women, too, have declining levels of testosterone, but assessment is even more complex than for men, and benefits of testosterone therapy for women are under debate.
    — Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 16 July 2026
  • Of the 1,027 eligible women, 678 (66%) agreed to annual assessments of memory, language and reasoning, along with regular checks on physical health and daily functioning.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
Definition of assessment
Verb
  • That is exactly the type of humbling experience that is important for actors.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 14 July 2026
  • Watching a mother turtle haul herself ashore under a canopy of stars to lay her eggs is a truly primal and humbling sight.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026
Definition of humbling

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Cite this Entry

“Chastening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chastening. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chastening

Nglish: Translation of chastening for Spanish Speakers

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