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
Another reason this defeat felt so chastening for United was that eight of Hull’s starting line-up had come up from the Championship, a year on from surviving relegation on goal difference. — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 The discipline and economy of Rosenwald’s philanthropy also provide a chastening contrast to our current hidebound efforts to help people. — Harold Pollack, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chastening
  1. punitive
  2. condemnation
  3. punishing
  4. humiliating
  5. chastisement
  6. discrediting
  7. assessment
  8. humbling
Adjective
  • An exploration of self-perception and a non-punitive confrontation with the past.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The South Korean announcement came days after its President Lee Jae Myung threatened to take unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refuses to apologize over the revelation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of punitive
Noun
  • The film is admirably committed to documenting this lifestyle without much idealization or condemnation.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The comments drew swift condemnation from California leaders, even as the White House communications director, Steven Cheung, insisted the president’s remarks had been taken out of context.
    — Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemnation
Verb
  • Seeing that gave Novick hope that the criminal justice system might serve a greater purpose beyond simply punishing those who break the law.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Both a federal district court and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state was not targeting or punishing Catholic preschools because of their faith.
    — Preston Green III, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 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
  • Matthew Cohen—who has also gone by Jason Goose—played his own part in discrediting the files.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • This isn’t about discrediting merengue, a genre that also deserves to be celebrated, respected and protected.
    — Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of discrediting
Noun
  • The needs assessment, due to CalRecycle by March 1, 2027, will map California’s existing textile collection, hauling, reuse, repair, recycling and disposal capacity.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The label made viewers perceive less effort behind the work, which reduced their willingness to engage with the brand and lowered their assessments of product quality.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of assessment
Verb
  • Believe me, having to audition for that was was humbling [laughs].
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • After a humbling 7-4 loss in Game 2, the Dodgers need a miraculous rejuvenation at Dodger Stadium to extend their season.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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