castigate
castigate Lexical Profile
castigate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To reprimand, rebuke, or criticize someone severely, often in a public or formal setting.
"The investigative committee castigated the agency's executives for their failure to enforce basic safety standards."
To inflict harsh punishment or discipline on someone in order to correct their behavior (archaic or formal).
"Historical chronicles describe how austere monastic orders would castigate wayward novices with strict fasting and solitude."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'castigate' (to reprimand or criticize severely) with 'castrate' (to remove the testicles of a male animal or person, or to deprive of vigor).
• Rhymes for castigate
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Latin 'castigatus', the past participle of 'castigare' ('to purify, chastise, or reprove'), derived from 'castus' ('pure, chaste') and 'agere' ('to drive or make').