admonished

American

[ad-mon-isht] / ædˈmɒn ɪʃt /

adjective

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

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

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

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

At one point housewives were admonished not to shake their dust mops outdoors lest that contribute to smog.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

When I admonished my 7 year-old for complaining too much during a particularly wonderful excursion, she retorted, “Daddy, complaining is my passion!”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

In the case of a New York real-estate developer, an appeals court admonished Hellerstein for calling a prosecutor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

The smile that had been ghosting across Miss Anderson’s face while Miss Preston admonished me drops off real quick, and Miss Anderson’s usual sourpuss face reappears.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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