Definition of CHASTISED (original) (raw)
1
: to censure severely : castigate
The coach chastised the players for their mistakes.
2
: to inflict punishment on (as by whipping)
Did you know?
If you want to understand the meaning of chastise (which comes from the Anglo-French verb castier, meaning “to discipline”), you could do worse than to turn to popular music. Pop, rap, jazz, rock, country—there’s not a single genre that isn’t full of songs penned from the point of view of jilted and/or cheated lovers chastising—that is, harshly criticizing—the one who did them wrong. Nearly every song on Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade, for example, is a master class in chastisement (chastisement being, of course, the noun form of chastise), featuring such lyrics as “What a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you” and “Ten times out of nine, I know you’re lying.” Chastise itself pops up in lyrics occasionally, too, as sung by artists including Guns N’ Roses (“So don’t chastise me or think I mean you harm”), Dr. Dre (“Fool, you better recognize / Death Row came to chastise”), and Janet Jackson (“Control and chastise / An instrument of punishment / Like a whip”). Jackson’s use is notable in particular for representing the word’s oldest sense, less common but still in use, of “to inflict punishment on (as with a whip).”
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for chastise
chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.
chastised his son for neglecting his studies
castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.
an editorial castigating the entire city council
chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.
chastened by a landslide election defeat
discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.
parents must discipline their children
correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.
the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer
Examples of chastise in a Sentence
The waiter was chastised for forgetting the customer's order. The coach is always chastising the players for minor mistakes.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Gabbard was chastised in 2017 for meeting with Assad in person and later casting doubt on intelligence tying his regime to the use of chemical weapons. —
Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2025 Carroll’s new brief chastises Trump for not raising his immunity claims until the eve of the second trial. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 28 Jan. 2025 During his on-court interview, Zverev chastised those who booed Djokovic. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 26 Jan. 2025 Harry later chastises Dexter for his carelessness, but Dex really doesn’t seem to be struggling at all. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for chastise 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English chastisen, borrowed from Anglo-French chastiser, extension, with a suffix of uncertain origin, of chastier, castier "to correct by punishment, discipline" — more at chasten
Note: As has long been noted, the formation of this verb in Anglo-French is peculiar. The date is too early to expect a derivative with -iser -ize in Anglo-French or English, and there is no verb *chastir that could have produced a stem chastiss-.
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of chastise was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near chastise
Cite this Entry
“Chastise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chastise. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 2 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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