Chastises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To rebuke or criticize someone sharply for a fault or wrongdoing
2. To express strong disapproval to someone due to their behavior or actions
3. To administer a stern verbal reprimand to correct or discipline

Etymology: "Chastises" is the third-person singular present form of "chastise", so its history is that of the verb itself. "Chastise" came into English from Middle English "chastisen", which was borrowed from Old French "chastier". The French word in turn descends from Latin "castigare", meaning to correct or reprove, and that Latin verb is closely tied to "castus", meaning pure or morally clean. The Latin sense was originally about making something pure through correction, so a scolding was understood as a way of purging a fault. The same Latin root produced two English doublets that a reader may already know: "chasten", which kept the sense of humbling or subduing, and "castigate", which took the stronger sense of harsh criticism. "Chaste" is a related word from the same family of ideas about purity, though it reached English through a different route. Among these relatives, "chastise" has kept the most of the original idea of correction, now aimed at a person's behaviour.

Synonyms: rebukes, scolds, reprimands, punishes, criticizes

Antonyms: praises, commends, approves, rewards, lauds