admonished
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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.
verb
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Take a recent episode at a courthouse in Los Angeles when a judge admonished Meta Platforms executives after some members of Mark Zuckerberg’s entourage showed up wearing the company’s latest AI smart glasses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
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 • Nov. 7, 2025
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 • Oct. 3, 2025
"Don't ever say what you said," he admonished reporters.
From Salon • May 28, 2025
“I will tolerate no dissension up there,” he admonished, staring pointedly at me.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
