admonished

American  

[ad-mon-isht] / ædˈmɒn ɪʃt /

adjective

1. rebuked or reminded of one’s duty, especially in a mild manner or with good will.

   As she spoke, the employee looked down and kicked the dirt like an admonished child.

   Tears came not from the admonished four-year-old who had destroyed the elaborate sandcastle, but from my dad, who had built it.

2. cautioned or advised against something; warned.

   A previously admonished person entering the premises without the owner’s written authorization shall be deemed to be trespassing.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of admonish.

Other Word Forms

• unadmonished adjective

Etymology

Origin of admonished

First recorded in 1590–1600; admonish ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; admonish ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

An hour after police arrived, the watch commander admonished officers for failing that job.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Mind the hair, Cassawoof,” he admonished, for she had grabbed the two pigtails as reins and was yanking them this way and that.

From Literature

In 2000, the EPA admonished naval officials for neglecting to inform residents that a fire had broken out at a hazardous landfill at Hunters Point.

From Los Angeles Times

“Guests not dressed for the occasion will be asked to make adjustments before entry,” we are sternly admonished.

From The Wall Street Journal

After some staffers complained, Dokoupil was admonished by CBS News leadership on an editorial call that the Free Press posted online.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• advise
• berate
• censure
• chide
• enjoin
• exhort
• rebuke
• reprimand
• scold
• upbraid
• warn