admonished
Americanadjective
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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
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.
Professor Derek Manas, the medical director of NHS Blood and Transplant, admonished NHS England for creating a system with a burnt-out workforce, "few consequences for poor performance" and operations cancelled "last-minute".
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
When admonished, “I must say, Mr. Burrows, you were pretty naive,” he smilingly answers, “I would say I was stupid.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Russell, too, was admonished by Wolff when he made a sarcastic comment about the location at which Antonelli had chosen to give back the lead after skipping the chicane.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
They did hear testimony from an anti–death penalty lawyer who was admonished for testing DNA on a water bottle without the person’s permission.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026
Scott was appalled by this, and admonished Dlamini, but Dlamini took no heed.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
