Synonym Chooser

How is the word chastise distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of chastise are castigate, chasten, correct, discipline, and punish. While all these words mean "to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing," chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.

chastised his son for neglecting his studies

When could castigate be used to replace chastise?

In some situations, the words castigate and chastise are roughly equivalent. However, castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.

an editorial castigating the entire city council

When can chasten be used instead of chastise?

While the synonyms chasten and chastise are close in meaning, chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.

chastened by a landslide election defeat

When might correct be a better fit than chastise?

While in some cases nearly identical to chastise, correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.

the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer

When is discipline a more appropriate choice than chastise?

Although the words discipline and chastise have much in common, discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.

parents must discipline their children

In what contexts can punish take the place of chastise?

The words punish and chastise are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing.

punished for stealing

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 chastise This after having spent days talking about the possibility of ceding Ukrainian territory as part of some sort of agreement, and chastising Ukraine — invaded unprovoked by a much larger neighbor — of starting the war itself. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025 Her biological father chastised her. Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 Red Jacob chastises Colum for not healing quickly enough. Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Healey also chastised the company for failing to return her phone calls. Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chastise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chastise
Verb
  • In Part 2, viewers see Morticia scold her children for lying to her, yet Morticia is keeping secrets from Wednesday about her past and family.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Family matriarch Donna Adelson was scolded by a judge Thursday for weeping in the courtroom after being convicted of orchestrating a 2014 murder-for-hire plot of her former son-in-law, a prominent Florida State University law professor.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • All three have been either punished for domestic PSR breaches or remain subject to charges.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • To me, more pragmatism means moving away from the corrupt, capricious policies of the current administration, such as crony capitalism that imposes bogus tariffs on free trade, punishing leaders and countries the president dislikes while favoring those who flatter him.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Geier, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology, has also been reprimanded by the Maryland Board of Physicians for practicing medicine without a medical license.
    Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Plaza was later reprimanded by showrunner Michael Schur for taking the notes.
    Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Six separate receivers have caught touchdown passes already this season, a stark difference from a season ago when Green was criticized for being too reliant on a small number of playmakers.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Like Kennedy, Anderson was criticized over the eight-minute tape, which was meant for private consumption and created by consenting spouses.
    Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Vance lectured Zelenskyy and argued the wartime leader hadn’t shown proper gratitude for the billions of dollars in military assistance the United States has given to his country.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Faculty across the state rebuked it as an infringement on academic freedom and warned of a mass chilling effect on free speech and lecturing on divisive topics.
    Cate Charron, IndyStar, 28 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Chastise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chastise. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on chastise

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!