1
as in punishes
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
chastened the child with five minutes of sitting in the corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliates
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chastens
Verb
-
The ice punishes the slightest miscalculations, demands the sharpest of focus.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026 -
The scene came in a fictional segment parodying Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead in which Maggie defends her architectural talents after her daycare teacher punishes her for making beautiful structures from building blocks.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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To show him who’s boss, Catherine turns around and buys Pac-North, humiliates him by closing it, and forces him back to Grey Sloan.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
-
There’s always a moment in which somebody humiliates the villain and now all the love in him is gone.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The praiseworthyness of having both sides of the debate evaporates when the host actively discredits the expert and reflexively enhances the legitimacy of the conspiracy theorist.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
1 Dec. 2025
-
Yet despite its popularity, research discredits this long-standing belief.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Those early days were quite something, and to know that moment meant something to you all these years on truly humbles me.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
18 Dec. 2025
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But Grande’s conceited blonde bubblehead gains in stature here as Glinda assumes statesmanlike responsibility to spread goodness in Oz, while experiencing crushing romantic disappointment that humbles her and deflates her vanity.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Chastens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chastens. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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