chasten

American  

[chey-suhn] / ˈtʃeɪ sən /

verb (used with object)

1. to inflict suffering upon for purposes of moral improvement; chastise.

   Synonyms:

   punish, discipline

   Antonyms:

   indulge

2. to restrain; subdue.

   Age has chastened his violent temper.

   Synonyms:

   humble

3. to make chaste in style.

   Synonyms:

   simplify, purify

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chasten British  

/ ˈtʃeɪsən /

verb

1. to bring to a state of submission; subdue; tame

2. to discipline or correct by punishment

3. to moderate; restrain; temper

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Usage

What does chasten mean? To chasten is to discipline, punish, or severely criticize, especially with the intention of improving someone’s behavior.Chasten has many shades of meaning that are all somewhat similar. It can mean to tame or subdue, or to moderate or restrain someone’s behavior. In all cases, it typically involves some form of discipline or negative consequences for the person being chastened.Chasten is a relatively formal word, and so are its close synonyms (like chastise, castigate, and reprimand), but it’s probably used less commonly than they are.It’s often associated with Christian or other religious language due to its use in some translations of the Bible.Example: My grandfather grew up in a boarding school, where he was chastened for even the most minor infractions.

Other Word Forms

• chastener noun
• chasteningly adverb
• chastenment noun
• unchastened adjective

Etymology

Origin of chasten

1520–30; chaste + -en ¹; replacing chaste (v.), Middle English chastien < Old French chastier < Latin castigāre; castigate

Example Sentences

Aston Villa bounced back from a chastening defeat at Arsenal to beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 on Saturday and climb to second in the Premier League as West Ham collapsed against basement club Wolves.

From Barron's

Well, I was neither totally broke nor fully chastened and was eager to make back my losses.

From Barron's

Third-placed Villa, who beat Arsenal 2-1 at home on December 6, trail six points behind the leaders after a chastening result that served as a reality check to their title credentials.

From Barron's

Marx, W. David concludes with some chastened suggestions for reconstructing a culture capable of producing “artworks that expand the possibilities of human perception.”

From The Wall Street Journal

While defeat shall likely not prove fatal to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, it was a chastening 100th European match in charge of City for Guardiola.

From Barron's

Related Words

• penalize