chastise
Americanverb (used with object)
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chastises,
present (3rd person singular)
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chastised,
past participle, past
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chastising
present participle
verb
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to discipline or punish, esp by beating
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to scold severely
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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chastisementnoun
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chastisernoun
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nonchastisementnoun
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self-chastisementnoun
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self-chastiseverb (used with object)
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chastisableadjective
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unchastisableadjective
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unchastisingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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chastisesimple
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chastisessimple
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have chastisedperfect
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has chastisedperfect
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am chastisingprogressive
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are chastisingprogressive
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is chastisingprogressive
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have been chastisingperfect progressive
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has been chastisingperfect progressive
Past
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chastisedsimple
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had chastisedperfect
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was chastisingprogressive
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were chastisingprogressive
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had been chastisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chastise
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English chastisen, equivalent to chasti(en) “to chasten ” + -s-, of unknown origin + -en infinitive suffix
Explanation
Chastise is a fancy word for telling someone that something they did was really bad. If you pick your nose, your mom will probably yell at you. If you pick your nose in front of the Queen of England, your mom will chastise you. Back in the Middle Ages, chastise used to also come with a beating — that sense of the word has passed, and in fact, people tend to use chastise when they are trying to accuse someone else of overreacting. "You're chastising me for forgetting to feed the cat, but it's not like the cat died!"
Vocabulary lists containing chastise
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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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.
See Examples For:
Pete and Viv chastise Corey about his wayward ways—for example, his failure to show up at their mother’s funeral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Critics of gold use this fact to chastise the proponents of a return to a gold-backed dollar.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2025
Before the denouement came one more opportunity to chastise the Australians, one more chance to be at the centre of a red-hot Ashes tussle.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025
But Kimmel went on to chastise Carr, showing his social media postings in recent years that gave unequivocal support to the 1st Amendment and condemning the censorship of TV hosts and commentators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025
He was quick to chastise me whenever I got lazy.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Yet, as a “cradle Catholic,” he chastises the newly converted Mr. Vance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Judge Xinis' 22-page opinion chastises US officials for claiming that there was little they could do to remedy what they have described as an "administrative error" that led to his deportation.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2025
Her nitpicking boss chastises her for not overloading her uniform with incongruent buttons, or "flair," insisting she needs to "express herself."
From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2024
Mr. T chastises Tony Romo, who will call the big game for CBS on Sunday night, for pointing out that there is no “t” in Skechers.
From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2024
I hear the fear in my dad’s voice when he chastises me.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
She argued that it’s okay to be single, but then also chastised the audience, “I think we love ourselves a little too much.”
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
The mum-of-two says some have "bullied" her for her post-baby body or commented on her "saggy tummy", while others have chastised her for being "too skinny".
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Shortly after the debate began, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter chastised her fellow candidates for their unceasing attacks.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
As the meeting opened, European Council President António Costa—the usually calm, chatty, former Portuguese prime minister who chairs leaders’ summits—turned to Orbán, who sat a few meters away, and chastised him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
He lowered his weapon and looked down, chastised.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
It invoked “The Godfather” in a 51-page presentation chastising Warner for sticking with the Netflix deal, writing, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse,” on a page about Paramount’s competing bid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
The leader has also openly expressed anger at the slow pace of some projects, chastising lazy officials and even firing his vice premier in public for alleged incompetence last week.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
Like I said, you want to come to the conversation from a place of trying to understand his decisions, not judging or chastising him for making them in the first place.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 14, 2026
Part of the issue is that kindness has, in the community’s time of crisis, been deemed “inappropriate” — the word Principal Marcus uses when chastising Justine for driving a stranded kid home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2025
“He made a show of chastising the guard for not keeping you safe. Still, the unworthy sot remains in his service.”
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
