Synonyms

admonish

American

[ad-mon-ish] / ædˈmɒn ɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

to caution, advise, or counsel against something.
to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner.

The teacher admonished him about excessive noise.

Synonyms:

upbraid, censure, rebuke
to urge to a duty; remind.

to admonish them about their obligations.

admonish British

/ ˌædməˈnɪʃən, ədˈmɒnɪʃ /

verb

to reprove firmly but not harshly
to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See warn. See reprimand.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of admonish

First recorded in 1275–1325; late Middle English admonish, amonesche, admonesse, amoness, Middle English a(d)monest (with -t later taken as past participle suffix), from Anglo-French, Old French amonester, from Vulgar Latin admonestāre (unrecorded), apparently derivative of Latin admonēre “to remind, give advice to” (source of -est- is uncertain), equivalent to ad- ad- ( def. ) + monēre “to remind, warn”; cf. monitor ( def. )

Explanation

To admonish is to scold. If you want to show someone you're not happy with his behavior, admonish him. Coming to English through Old French from the Latin admonere, "to advise, remind," admonish is always used with an eye on improving someone's behavior. The exact meaning of this formal verb varies in intensity depending generally on who is being corrected. If a child or subordinate is being admonished, it means "scold" or "rebuke" whereas if someone admonishes a person with equal standing, warn or advise are closer synonyms.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Its rings are labeled: Investigate further, Admonish, Cite, and the bull's-eye is Complaint withdrawn.

From Time Magazine Archive

Admonish of course where you must, but censure only with justice, and don't forget that whether of high estate or humble, we all of us like praise—sometimes.

From Etiquette by Post, Emily

Admonish, then, the people to lend a hearing ear to the words which the Spirit of God hath uttered in this irradiant and resplendent Tablet.

From Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh by Bahá'u'lláh

Admonish is the mildest of reproving words, and may even be used of giving a caution or warning where no wrong is implied, or of simply reminding of duty which might be forgotten.

From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by Fernald, James Champlin

Sir 19:15 Admonish a friend: for many times it is a slander, and believe not every tale.

From Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Apocrypha by Anonymous

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023