chastise
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to discipline or punish, esp by beating
-
to scold severely
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
chastisementnoun
-
chastisernoun
-
nonchastisementnoun
-
self-chastisementnoun
-
chastisableadjective
-
unchastisableadjective
-
unchastisingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
chastisesimple
-
chastisessimple
-
have chastisedperfect
-
has chastisedperfect
-
am chastisingprogressive
-
are chastisingprogressive
-
is chastisingprogressive
-
have been chastisingperfect progressive
-
has been chastisingperfect progressive
Past
-
chastisedsimple
-
had chastisedperfect
-
was chastisingprogressive
-
were chastisingprogressive
-
had been chastisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chastise
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English chastisen, equivalent to chasti(en) “to chasten ” + -s-, of unknown origin + -en infinitive suffix
Explanation
Chastise is a fancy word for telling someone that something they did was really bad. If you pick your nose, your mom will probably yell at you. If you pick your nose in front of the Queen of England, your mom will chastise you. Back in the Middle Ages, chastise used to also come with a beating — that sense of the word has passed, and in fact, people tend to use chastise when they are trying to accuse someone else of overreacting. "You're chastising me for forgetting to feed the cat, but it's not like the cat died!"
Vocabulary lists containing chastise
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Operation Chastise, as the mission was officially named, is perhaps the best-known Bomber Command operation, with the crews' bravery immortalised in the 1955 film The Dam Busters.
From BBC • May 16, 2023
Mr. Johnson served with the RAF’s celebrated 617 Squadron and was a sergeant at the time of the “Dambuster” raid — Operation Chastise — which began before dawn on May 17, 1943.
From Washington Post • Dec. 9, 2022
Braving antiaircraft fire, the squadron, based at Scampton, north of London, breached Germany’s Eder and Mōhne dams and damaged the Sorpe Dam in what was formally known as Operation Chastise.
From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2022
Johnson was a 21-year-old bomb aimer on the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, by the Royal Air Force’s famed 617 Squadron.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 8, 2022
Chastise your son while there is still hope, And set not your heart on his destruction.
From The Makers and Teachers of Judaism by Kent, Charles Foster
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
