castigate

[kas-ti-geyt]

verb (used with object)

castigated, castigating 

1. to criticize or reprimand severely.

   Synonyms: reprove, censure, scold

2. to punish in order to correct.

   Synonyms: chasten, chastise, discipline

castigate

/ ˈkæstɪˌɡeɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to rebuke or criticize in a severe manner; chastise

Other Word Forms

• castigation noun
• castigative adjective
• castigatory adjective
• castigator noun
• noncastigating adjective
• self-castigating adjective
• uncastigated adjective
• uncastigative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of castigate¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin castīgātus literally, “driven to be faultless” (past participle of castigāre “to chasten”), equivalent to cast(us) “pure, clean” + -īg-, combining form of agere “to drive, incite” + -ātus past participle suffix; chaste, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of castigate¹

C17: from Latin castīgāre to correct, punish, from castum pure + agere to compel (to be)

Example Sentences

A French government minister castigated energy giant TotalEnergies on Friday for launching an oil exploration project in South America, saying companies needed to help the world exit from fossil fuels.

Read more on Barron's

He then castigated “the venomous coalition attacking” the populist media figure for interviewing Mr. Fuentes and urged conservatives to focus “on our political adversaries on the left, not attacking our friends on the right.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It repeats, without shedding new light, on the ways Kissinger has long been celebrated and castigated.

Read more on Salon

“I want to make a difference … They have to castigate, they have to impugn my motives. Because, if I’m right, what does that say about them?”

Read more on Salon

Western governments — including some of Israel’s most loyal supporters — castigated the decision to invade, with Germany’s foreign minister slamming it as “the completely wrong path” and France saying the campaign had “no military logic.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• berate 
• censure 
• chastise 
• criticize 
• excoriate 
• flog 
• lambaste 
• lash 
• penalize 
• pummel 
• punish 
• rebuke 
• reprimand 
• scold 
• upbraid